Exports of dried seaweed surpass $1 bil. for 1st time this year

South 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, the oceans ministry said Sunday.

Outbound shipments of dried seaweed, known as “gim” in Korean, totaled $1.02 billion as of Thursday, up 13.2 percent 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 percent from a year earlier.

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