Wando Seaweed's First Auction Reaches 2.7 Billion Won... From Japanese "Nori" to "Gim"

Wando County Begins Full-Scale Seaweed Harvest for the Season
"Rich in Minerals"... Exceptional in Taste and Nutrition

The harvesting of seaweed for this season has officially begun in Wando County, Jeollanam-do, known as the "Number One Place for Marine Products." According to Wando County on November 25, the first auction held recently in Dangin-ri, Gunoe-myeon saw 4,949 sacks (approximately 594 tons) of seaweed traded.

The harvesting of seaweed for this season has officially begun in Wando County, Jeollanam-do, known as the "Number One Place for Marine Products." Photo by Wando County

On this day, the price per sack (120 kg) ranged from 410,000 to 660,000 won, with the total auction amount reaching 2.799 billion won. This year, the seaweed harvest is expected to continue until the end of April next year. Currently, in Wando County, 300 fishing households are cultivating 179,638 seaweed frames across 13,166 hectares of licensed farming areas.

Wando seaweed is cultivated by floating seeded seaweed nets on the water's surface, exposing them to sunlight and wind, which is known to enhance the unique taste and aroma of the seaweed.

Referred to as a "treasure trove of minerals," Wando seaweed contains higher protein content than typical seaweeds and is rich in nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. The county is actively promoting various initiatives to produce high-quality seaweed and increase fishing household income, including supplying seaweed seeds, providing seaweed activation agents, and distributing certified buoys.

Meanwhile, as the largest seaweed production area in the country, Wando County has also worked to establish the use of Korean romanized names for seaweed products in English.

In the past, Korean seaweed products were exported with Japanese-style English names such as "Nori," leading to confusion with Japanese products. In response, the county recommended to the government that seaweed names be labeled in Korean romanization.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries designated the following Korean romanized names for five types of seaweed: "Gim" for 김, "Miyok" for 미역, "Dasima" for 다시마, "Parae" for 파래, and "Tot" for 톳.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.