GS Global teams up with seaweed producers to boost K-seaweed exports

GS Global is moving to expand its presence in global food markets by stepping up its push into the dried seaweed business, one of South Korea's flagship K-food export categories.

The company signed a three-way MOU with Wando Mulsan English Cooperative and Highland Food Group on Wednesday at GS Tower in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, to cooperate on expanding domestic and overseas sales and exports of seaweed products, GS Global announced Thursday.

The agreement covers cooperation across the full value chain — from production and domestic and international retail to brand competitiveness. Wando Mulsan will handle the sourcing of high-quality raw seaweed and stable production of finished goods, while GS Global and Highland Food Group will leverage their retail networks and marketing capabilities to develop new customers and expand sales channels and overseas exports.

Founded in 1996, Wando Mulsan posted sales of about 46 billion won ($32.5 million) and exports of about 17.3 billion won in 2024, making it one of South Korea's leading seaweed specialists. Co-CEO Kim Cheon-il, designated a "dried seaweed master" by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, oversees a one-stop production system spanning raw material procurement through seasoned processing to ensure consistent quality. The company holds FSSC 22000 certification across all its processing factories, along with US FDA and USDA organic certifications, and is expanding exports to China, Japan and the United States under its flagship "Shrimp Brand Wando Seaweed" label.

Highland Food Group is South Korea's largest importer and distributor of imported meat, holding roughly a 13 percent share of the domestic market, with a distribution network of more than 1,700 client companies and logistics and processing infrastructure to match. The company has been exploring seaweed products as a new business line in line with growing demand for K-food, and the MOU marks its formal entry into that segment.

GS Global entered the food business in 2024 with a strategic equity investment in a poultry processor, and this year established a dedicated food business team to pursue seaweed exports and identify new product categories such as green tea. The company is currently running a pilot supply of Wando Mulsan seaweed to GS cafeterias and plans to expand overseas sales channels using its global network.

"We are developing our 'Food Solution' business — which connects the food value chain using a general trading company's global network and supply chain management capabilities — as a new growth engine," a GS Global official said. "We aim to evolve into a comprehensive food platform that connects diverse K-food products to global markets."