South Korea's exports of dried seaweed, known as "gim" in Korean, achieved a record high in 2023, reaching 1.03 trillion won (approximately US$790 million). This marked a significant 22.2 percent increase compared to the previous year, driven by the growing popularity of Korean food items globally. Dried seaweed is commonly roasted with sesame oil and fine salt and served as a side dish in Korean cuisine, with gim-based snacks also gaining recent popularity. The United States emerged as the top destination for gim exports, followed by Japan, China, Thailand, and Russia.
In response to this achievement, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) has pledged support for the industry, with the agency's chief visiting a gim processing complex in Mokpo and expressing a commitment to further bolster the sector.
