Seaweed [Getty Images Bank]
Seaweed [Getty Images Bank]

Seasoned seaweed — dried sheets coated with oil and salt — commands an export price two to three times higher than the domestic price of plain dried seaweed, according to new research. As Korea's seaweed exports expand, value-added processed products such as seasoned seaweed are securing significantly higher export prices than raw or minimally processed goods.

According to a paper titled "The Impact of Seaweed Export Expansion on Domestic Prices," published in the Korea Maritime Institute's (KMI) Marine Policy Research journal, the export price of seasoned seaweed reached 24,080 won ($17) per bundle of 100 sheets in 2025 — about 2.4 times the domestic dried seaweed price of 9,920 won that year.

The premium has persisted over the past three years. The export price of seasoned seaweed rose from 18,194 won per bundle in 2023 to 22,207 won in 2024 and 24,080 won in 2025.

Over the same period, the domestic price of dried seaweed stood at 5,874 won per bundle in 2023, 10,375 won in 2024 and 9,920 won in 2025. Compared with those domestic prices, the seasoned seaweed export price was about 3.1 times higher in 2023, 2.1 times in 2024 and 2.4 times in 2025.

By contrast, the export price of plain dried seaweed tracked closely with its domestic price. Dried seaweed export prices were 5,924 won per bundle in 2023, 9,600 won in 2024 and 10,165 won in 2025, compared with domestic prices of 5,874 won, 10,375 won and 9,920 won respectively over the same period.

The data illustrate how the degree of processing can dramatically widen the price gap for the same underlying product. While dried seaweed sold at similar prices at home and abroad, seasoned seaweed fetched more than twice the domestic dried seaweed price in overseas markets. The findings strengthen the case for linking seaweed export growth not merely to volume but to higher value creation through processing.

The researchers found that expanding seaweed exports and stabilizing domestic prices are not necessarily in conflict. An analysis of monthly data from 2005 to 2025 showed that rising exports contributed to some price increases at the raw seaweed production stage, but those pressures were largely absorbed through the processing and retail stages.

The retail price of dried seaweed was found to be more heavily influenced by domestic wholesale prices and the distribution process than by exports. The research showed that wholesale prices passed through to retail prices in a statistically significant way over both the short and long term.

The researchers recommended policies aimed at expanding the production base and improving retail efficiency rather than restricting exports. They argued that Korea should pursue stronger export competitiveness — centered on high-value processed products such as seasoned seaweed — alongside domestic price stability.

"Evidence that expanding seaweed exports persistently drives up domestic consumer prices appears limited," Han Ki-wook, head of KMI's Overseas Market Analysis Center, wrote in the paper. "Rather than restricting exports, what is needed is a policy that expands the production base and improves retail efficiency to secure both export competitiveness and domestic price stability."

Dried and seasoned seaweed price comparison Source: Korea Maritime Institute, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries

| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |---|---|---|---| | Domestic dried seaweed price (won/bundle) | 5,874 | 10,375 | 9,920 | | Dried seaweed export price (won/bundle) | 5,924 | 9,600 | 10,165 | | Seasoned seaweed export price (won/bundle) | 18,194 | 22,207 | 24,080 | | Seasoned seaweed export price / domestic dried seaweed price | 3.1x | 2.1x | 2.4x |


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