Korea's exports of dried seaweed surpass $1 billion

The Republic of Korea's exports of dried seaweed reached an all-time high this year, surpassing $1 billion for the first time, driven largely by growing popularity in overseas markets, such as the United States, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries as saying on Sunday.

Outbound shipments of dried seaweed, known as "gim" in Korean, totalled $1.02 billion as of Thursday, up 13.2 per cent from the same period a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The ministry attributed the surge to both the improved quality competitiveness of gim and rising demand in overseas markets, particularly North America and Europe, where consumption has risen sharply in recent years.

By country, the U.S. was the largest importer at $220 million, up 15.3 per cent from a year earlier.

Japan followed with $210 million, a 13.8 per cent increase, while China ranked third with $100 million, marking a sharp rise of 36.6 percent.

 WAM