Promotions run Saturday through Nov. 28 to coincide with global shopping season; abalone, oysters and flounder targeted at hotel and restaurant sectors in Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia

This image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
This image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

South Korea's seafood products will go on sale at 144 online and offline stores across 17 countries as the global shopping season kicks off with China's Singles' Day and the United States' Black Friday. The campaign will expand promotions for key export items such as dried seaweed and fish cakes, while also developing local restaurant menus featuring abalone, oysters and flounder.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced Thursday that it will run the "2026 K-Seafood Global Weeks" for three weeks from Saturday through Nov. 28.

Now in its 10th edition, the event is timed to coincide with China's Singles' Day on Nov. 11 and the US Black Friday on Nov. 27, aiming to raise the profile of Korean seafood products abroad and boost exports.

Online, discounts and promotional campaigns for Korean seafood — including dried seaweed and fish cakes — will run across 26 major overseas retail platforms. Dedicated "K-Seafood online stores" on China's Taobao and JD.com, Amazon and H Mart in the United States, and Shopee in Southeast Asia will also be part of the push.

K-Seafood Global Weeks promotional poster [Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries]
K-Seafood Global Weeks promotional poster [Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries]

The dedicated K-seafood online stores currently operate across 10 platforms in eight countries, including China, the United States, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Offline, discount sales and tasting events will be held at major local retailers — including Metro Mart and Lida Mart in China and LEE Mart in Singapore — as well as at hansik franchise outlets. The ministry plans to expand promotional activities so consumers can experience Korean seafood products firsthand.

This year, the ministry is also stepping up outreach to the hotel and food service sectors. Menu development sessions and cooking demonstrations featuring abalone, oysters and flounder will be held at 57 hotel and restaurant outlets in Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia. The initiative aims to broaden consumption beyond household purchases by embedding Korean seafood into local dining menus.

The ministry said it intends to use the promotional weeks to widen the touchpoints between overseas consumers and Korean seafood products and to support export expansion.

"We hope this event gives consumers around the world a chance to directly experience the taste and appeal of Korean seafood," Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Hwang Jong-woo said. "We will continue to actively support export expansion so that our seafood products appear more often on tables around the world."


adastra@heraldcorp.com