[Opinion] At This Rate, We Will Become a Seaweed Importing Country

"On a day in March 2074, a cargo plane loaded with Gim arrived at Incheon Airport. The Gim was farmed in the Southern Ocean. Although Gim has long been established as a beloved black food worldwide, Koreans' love for Gim remains overwhelmingly passionate. Korea also imports the largest amount of Gim in the world. Fifty years ago, the southern coast of Korea accounted for 70% of the global Gim market, but due to rising seawater temperatures, the Korean Peninsula now only maintains a remnant of Gim production."

Is this just a fanciful daydream? If Gim were produced overseas and imported by plane, its price could become much higher and more precious than it is now. To exaggerate, instead of wrapping rice with Gim, people might have to slice it thinly and put just one strand into their rice.

In March 2024, the news that "Gim prices have risen" shows us both crisis and opportunity. First, it is worrisome that Gim production remains stagnant due to abnormal climate conditions. According to the Korea Maritime Institute, domestic Gim production decreased from 168.83 million sheets in 2019 to 144.76 million sheets in 2020, and remained around 140 million sheets last year (148.18 million sheets). The optimal temperature for Gim growth is below 10 degrees Celsius, but rising water temperatures have shortened the production period. Diseases such as "gaetbyeong," which cause Gim to dissolve and disappear, have also become more frequent. If water temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, it is predicted that Gim production will be impossible on the southern coast in 80 years.

It is encouraging that Gim exports are rapidly increasing. Last year, Gim exports reached $780 million (1.2 trillion KRW), sold to 122 countries. Gim exports have played a key role as a star performer in agricultural and marine product exports. However, the increase in overseas demand has triggered a rise in Gim wholesale prices. Since production is unlikely to increase significantly while demand grows rapidly, it is expected that Gim prices will inevitably continue to rise.

When Gim wholesale prices suddenly surged, the government recently met with Gim processing companies to request retail price stabilization. However, the rise in Gim prices cannot and should not be resolved by short-term price stabilization measures alone. The government plans to develop 2,000 hectares of new aquaculture farms?equivalent to 2,800 soccer fields?from July to ensure stable Gim production in the mid to long term.

In addition to the government's plan, to lead the global Gim market, it is necessary to develop various Gim varieties that can be produced even under abnormal climate conditions. Varieties resistant to diseases and pests and able to withstand rising water temperatures are needed. Although there have been some successes in developing certain varieties, Korea must become a seed powerhouse. Diverse attempts such as land-based Gim aquaculture are also necessary.

The aging of fishery workers must also be considered. Japan has already experienced a significant decline in Gim production due to aging. Korea is entering a super-aged society at an even faster pace. Utilizing cutting-edge IT to simplify production and harvesting processes is essential. Given the already severe labor shortage in rural fishing villages, it is no longer feasible to rely solely on labor-intensive methods.

Fishing villages are now becoming deserted. As fewer young people enter the fisheries industry, the sea is left to the elderly and foreign workers. If the fisheries industry becomes not only physically demanding but also responsible for high income, young people's perceptions will naturally change. Revitalizing the fisheries industry and fishing villages will also greatly help alleviate low birth rates and regional extinction issues. This is a point that not only the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries but also the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, which allocates budgets, should carefully consider. Let's create a successful model in the Gim industry. Only then can second and third Gim industries be born, and fishing villages revived."