A shopper purchases dried seaweed products at a supermarket in Seoul, May 26. Yonhap

Korea's exports of dried seaweed products have already reached a new annual high this year, driven by growing global demand for healthier foodstuffs, data showed Tuesday.

Outbound shipments of dried seaweed, called "gim" in Korean, reached $850 million during the January-October period, already surpassing the previous annual record of $792 million set in 2023, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Korea accounts for 70 percent of the global market for seaweed products.

For all of 2024, the oceans ministry anticipates export volume to increase 27 percent on-year, reaching $1 billion.

By destination, exports to the United States stood at $177 million in the first 10 months of this year, followed by Japan with $175 million and Thailand with $84.5 million.

The oceans ministry noted that export destinations for seaweed products has jumped to 122 countries in 2023 from 64 in 2010, reflecting the growing popularity of gim in global markets.

"The government has been making efforts to support gim exports throughout the entire process, including production, processing and shipment," Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said in a statement.

"We will continue to bolster exports of premium gim products while also supporting domestic production for local consumption," Kang added.

In a bid to further boost exports of gim, the oceans ministry earlier said it will push to have the Korean name recognized by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a global organization responsible for establishing global food standards, which may help reduce tariff barriers for the Korean ingredient that is often served as a side dish in Korean dining. (Yonhap)