Korea’s ‘Black Gold’ Seaweed Prices Soar as Global Demand and Warming Seas Bite
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Seaweed (gim), nicknamed Korea’s “black semiconductor,” has surged about 55% in price over five years amid worsening production conditions and booming global demand. The consumer price index for gim rose to 154.84 (2020=100), up 5.2% year-on-year. Scientists point to rapidly rising sea surface temperatures—rising 1.58°C around Korean waters since 1968, faster than the global average—as worsening risks for seaweed farming. Large-scale “yellowing” (hwangbaekhwa) damage was recorded in 서천 (Seocheon) farms, affecting nearly 94.7% of local cultivation area due to nutrient depletion after prolonged warm waters and monsoon rains. At the same time, K-content exposure and health-food trends have driven exports past $1 billion for the first time this year, aided by tariff advantages for seasoned seaweed in the U.S. but with some products still facing tariffs. The industry faces the twin challenges of climate-driven supply shocks and rising global demand.
