Southwestern Korea’s seaweed exports hit record high amid ‘Korean seaweed boom’

A surge in Korean seaweed exports helped Jeonnam-Gwangju post its strongest agricultural and fisheries food export performance on record for the January-to-July period.

The region’s cumulative exports reached $676.27 million, up 10% from the same period last year. The figure has risen each year, from $441.61 million in 2023 to $552.19 million in 2024 and $614.87 million in 2025. Compared with 2023, exports have grown 53.1% in three years.

Fisheries products made up the largest share, worth $368.54 million, or 54.5% of the total. Agricultural products accounted for $247.73 million, livestock products for $55.81 million and forestry products for $4.18 million.

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Despite uncertainty in the trading environment, agricultural and fisheries food exports have grown by more than 50% in three years.

Seaweed led the region’s export list. Sales reached $289.60 million through July, representing 42.8% of all agricultural and fisheries food exports. That was 87.1% higher than the $154.72 million recorded in the same period of 2023. Other leading products included tobacco, liquor, beverages, kelp, abalone, powdered milk, rice, coffee mixes and citron tea.

Japan was the largest market at $129.46 million, followed by the United States at $119.35 million, China at $113.08 million and Taiwan at $43.58 million. Shin Hyun-gon, the region’s international cooperation official, said exports had grown by more than 50% in three years despite uncertainty in the trading environment. He said the region would strengthen leading products such as seaweed and seek promising products and new markets.

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We will continue the increase in exports by strengthening the competitiveness of leading products such as seaweed and continuously discovering promising products and new markets.