"Wando Seaweed Draws Global Attention"... World Bank and Officials from 13 Countries Visit

Full-Scale Cooperation on Seaweed Aquaculture Technology with Developing Countries
World Bank Confirmed as Sponsor of '2026 Pre-International Seaweed Expo'

Wando County, South Jeolla Province, announced on June 2 that 44 government officials from 13 countries in Africa and Asia, including Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, and Mozambique, along with World Bank officials, recently visited Wando.

This visit was carried out with support from the World Bank and was part of efforts to acquire seaweed aquaculture technology and explore industrialization strategies for developing countries. This marks the fourth time that World Bank officials have visited Wando.

44 government officials from 13 developing countries in Africa and Asia, along with World Bank officials, visited Wando. Provided by Wando County

The delegation received a briefing from County Governor Shin Woochul at Wando County Office, where they learned about the region's fisheries industry, seaweed aquaculture technology, and processing and distribution systems, followed by a Q&A session. Afterwards, they toured sites including kelp and abalone farms, the Marine Bio Research Center of the Jeonnam Bioindustry Foundation, and seaweed processing companies.

A Tanzanian government official expressed a desire to establish a framework for sharing technical information and conducting joint research and development with Wando County in the future. Building on this visit, the World Bank has decided to sponsor the 'Pre-Wando International Seaweed Expo' scheduled for 2026, and plans to work with Wando County to establish a global seaweed network.

Governor Shin Woochul stated, "This visit was a meaningful opportunity to showcase Wando's seaweed aquaculture technology to the world and to lay the groundwork for future cooperation," adding, "We will continue to foster the seaweed industry as a sustainable growth sector through joint research and technology exchanges with the international community."

Earlier, on May 28, the 'Global Seaweed Summit' was held in Busan, providing a forum to discuss the environmental, economic, and social value of seaweed and directions for the development of the seaweed industry. The event was attended by more than 100 participants, including World Bank officials, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency, international organizations, academia, domestic and overseas companies, and startup representatives. Governor Shin delivered a special lecture on the history, current status, and future direction of Wando's seaweed aquaculture industry.

Wando is the largest seaweed-producing region in Korea, accounting for more than 50% of the nation's production of seaweed such as gim, miyeok, dasima, tot, and maesaengi. The county is working to transform the industry into a high value-added sector through the development of superior seeds, distribution of new varieties, and promotion of the marine bioindustry. In 2021, NASA released satellite images of Wando's seaweed farms, describing the area as "eco-friendly and optimized for aquaculture," drawing significant attention. Since then, officials from the World Bank, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), NGOs from various countries, and seaweed industry stakeholders from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada have continued to visit Wando.

In November last year, Wando County visited NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy to discuss the potential for blue carbon certification for seaweed, accelerating efforts to enhance the global competitiveness of the seaweed industry.