S. Korea's dried seaweed has gone global, now, it's going green

The Star

a day ago

One of the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry's key initiatives is the creation of underwater ecosystems densely populated with seaweed species. — The Korea Herald
SEOUL: Among South Korea's ocean bounty, one standout is seaweed, most iconically in its dried form, known in Korean as gim.
While many Koreans now take quiet pride in seeing this humble staple elevated to a global delicacy, only a handful have considered its promise beyond the plate.
Seaweed, after all, is giving back to the very waters that once gave it life – as a source of climate solutions now taking root in South Korea.
According to the World Bank's 2023 Global Seaweed Markets Report, seaweed is a powerful climate ally – a form of 'blue carbon' in ocean and coastal ecosystems capable of sinking carbon and supporting biodiversity.
The report highlights 10 emerging markets, such as bioplastics, animal feed and nutraceuticals, that are projected to grow by US$11.8bil by 2030.
Most farmed seaweed is still used for food or aquaculture, with 98% of global supply produced by a few Asian countries, South Korea among them.
As the world's third-largest producer of seaweed and the top exporter of gim, South Korea is turning its attention toward the algae's environmental promise.
One of the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry's key initiatives is the creation of underwater ecosystems densely populated with seaweed species, known as 'sea forests'.
According to the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, over 347 square kilometres of these sea forests have been created since 2009, now absorbing around 117,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
The ministry has set targets to increase South Korea's blue carbon absorption to 1.07 million tonnes by 2030 and 1.36 million tonnes by 2050.
'Sea forests, once valued mainly as sources of food and shelter for marine life, are now being recognised for their strong carbon absorption capacity,' a ministry official said. 'We are working to secure international blue carbon certification to acknowledge their role in climate mitigation.'
Seaweed already meets five of the six core criteria for international recognition, with the final step, formal inclusion in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) greenhouse gas inventory guidelines, currently under review.
The IPCC currently recognises mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses as official blue carbon ecosystems.
The country is further institutionalising its ambitions, with the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea set to build its own blue carbon research centre by 2028.
Elsewhere, Wando-gun in South Jeolla Province – South Korea's largest seaweed-producing region – has become a focal point in global blue carbon discussions.
In November last year, the local government visited the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) in the United States to hold working-level discussions on advancing seaweed's blue carbon certification.
In 2021, Nasa highlighted Wando by releasing satellite images and praising the region's sustainable farming practices as ideal for seaweed-based carbon mitigation.
'I asked Nasa to help highlight the role of Wando's seaweed farms so that seaweed can be officially certified as blue carbon,' said county mayor Shin Woo-chul after the visit, adding that the US agency expressed support for the initiative.
The local government is also collaborating with the US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy on a joint South Korea-US project, running through 2029, to develop offshore seaweed farming systems for large-scale biomass production and blue carbon advancement. — The Korea Herald/ANN