K-seaweed takes Europe: Korean dried seaweed exports on track for record year

Seaweed exports set to surpass $1.1 billion for second straight year

An automated frozen kimbap production line at CJ Blossom Campus in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province [CJ CheilJedang]

Korean dried seaweed — dubbed the "black semiconductor" for its export prowess — is on a steep growth trajectory. Riding the global wave of K-food and K-content, the industry is on course for another record-breaking year, with demand now expanding even in Europe, where it had previously been a relatively minor market.

According to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, seaweed exports totaled $782.95 million in the first eight months of this year. Extrapolating from the monthly average, full-year exports are virtually certain to exceed $1.17 billion — surpassing last year's all-time record of $1.13 billion in just one year.

Seaweed exports have climbed sharply each year, rising from $647.55 million in 2022 to $792.55 million in 2023 and $997.03 million in 2024. Growth rates over the past three years have remained in double digits: 22.4 percent in 2023, 25.8 percent in 2024 and 13.7 percent in 2025.

By destination, last year's top export markets were the United States at $252.78 million, Japan at $222.94 million, China at $114.23 million, Russia at $94.05 million and Thailand at $93.64 million. US exports jumped 18.2 percent despite tariff concerns, driven by robust demand for seasoned seaweed snacks fueled by the K-food craze.

Europe is emerging as the next growth frontier. Familiarity with seaweed-based dishes such as kimbap, spread through Korean films and drama series, is growing among European consumers, and seaweed is gaining attention as a sustainable food source. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation, the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products found that South Korea accounted for 16 percent of the EU's direct imports of edible seaweed from outside the bloc in 2023 — third behind China at 29 percent and Chile at 22 percent.

Korean companies are moving quickly to tap that market. CJ CheilJedang introduced the food industry's first automated frozen kimbap production line in March at CJ Blossom Campus in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, and plans to expand exports to the United States and Europe from that base. The company has already seen strong results in the US market, where sales rose 59 percent year-on-year in the first seven months of this year. Sajodaerim and Olgot are also exporting frozen kimbap to Europe.

The push is not limited to large conglomerates. A social media post announcing the opening of a roasted seaweed specialty shop in central London recently drew more than 1,000 likes, generating considerable buzz online. The shop announced through its official social media channels that it plans to sell kimbap in-store and seaweed sheets for kimbap online.

spa@heraldcorp.com