South Chungcheong Seafood Products Make Waves in Global Export Market on the Back of K-Food Boom

Signed $3.95 Million Export Contracts at Germany's ANUGA Expo
Gamtae Noodles Selected as 'Global Trend Product,'
Enhancing South Chungcheong's International Standing in Marine and Fisheries

Anuga Expo held at Dogeuil Quillin / Chungnam Provincial Government

Seafood products made from laver and gamtae, cultivated in the pristine seas of South Chungcheong Province, have secured a series of large-scale export contracts in the global market, fueled by the popularity of K-Food. This marks the beginning of a 'South Chungcheong Seafood Renaissance.'

In particular, gamtae noodles developed by a company in Seosan were selected as an 'innovative product' at a world food expo, demonstrating the future potential of seafood products from South Chungcheong Province.

According to South Chungcheong Province on October 14, the Marine Fisheries Startup Investment Support Center of Chungnam Technopark participated in the 'ANUGA 2025 Food Expo' held in Cologne, Germany from October 4 to 8, operating a promotional booth for seafood products from South Chungcheong Province.

'ANUGA' is one of the world's top three food expos. This year, 8,000 companies from 118 countries participated, and 160,000 food and distribution professionals attended, making it the world's largest B2B event in the sector.

At this expo, six companies from South Chungcheong Province showcased seafood processed products such as laver products, gamtae noodles, and gamtae pesto. They conducted a total of 207 business meetings, amounting to 55.44 million dollars, and signed eight export contracts (MOUs) worth 3.95 million dollars.

Notably, 'gamtae noodles' presented by Girin Company from Seosan was selected as one of the '62 products leading global trends' at the 'Innovation Show,' overcoming a competition rate of 129 to 1 and capturing the attention of food experts worldwide.

This is a distinction achieved by only a handful of products out of over 8,000 entries, highlighting the innovative processing technology of South Chungcheong's marine and fisheries sector on the world stage.

The export momentum of South Chungcheong's seafood products continued in July. At the '2025 US & Mexico Export Consultation Meeting' held in Los Angeles and Mexico City, the province achieved export contracts worth 4 million dollars, confirming its potential in the North American market as well.

Jeon Sangwook, Director of the Marine and Fisheries Bureau of South Chungcheong Province, stated, "This achievement is the result of the heightened global recognition of K-Food combined with the quality competitiveness of South Chungcheong's seafood products. We will continue to actively support the global expansion of high value-added seafood products utilizing clean marine resources such as gamtae and laver."