"A Side Dish in Korea, a Potato Chip-Like Snack Overseas"... Korean Food Worth KRW 1.5 Trillion Sold [K-Holic]

Korea's Iconic Side Dish, Gim, Gains Popularity Overseas
Korean Wave Content Wins Over Overseas Consumers' Taste Buds
Snack Trend Favoring Health and Convenience Also Plays a Part

Editor's NoteInterest in Korean culture is growing rapidly around the world. Korean products and content, including K-food and K-beauty, are moving beyond niche fan bases and becoming part of overseas consumers' everyday lives. [K-Holic] explores the "Korean wave" taking hold around the world and examines why overseas consumers are paying attention to Korea.

Gim, often dubbed "black semiconductor," is winning over taste buds around the world. Familiar in Korea as a side dish eaten with rice, gim is gaining attention overseas as a snack enjoyed like potato chips and has become a key export item. Images of celebrities abroad enjoying gim have made headlines, while food companies are also targeting global markets with a series of snack products, including gim bugak.

Korean Gim Goes from Side Dish to "Key Export Item"

Kim. Getty Images Bank

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, seafood exports reached a record $3.33 billion (approximately KRW 4.5191 trillion) last year, up 9.7% from the previous year. Gim exports totaled $1.13 billion (approximately KRW 1.5335 trillion) last year, up 13.7% year on year, making gim the top export item. The export performance is believed to have been driven by the development of a range of products tailored to overseas consumers' tastes and increased demand amid the spread of Korean culture.

Consumption patterns overseas differ from those in Korea, with gim often enjoyed as a snack. In Korea, it is mainly used to wrap rice or served as a side dish, while overseas it is gaining attention as a ready-to-eat snack that requires no preparation. The crisp texture and salty taste of seasoned gim, roasted with oil and salt, have proved popular, and more overseas consumers are enjoying it straight from the bag, like potato chips.

Several celebrities abroad have also been spotted enjoying gim. In 2021, American model and businesswoman Kylie Jenner shared a picture of herself eating gim with her daughter on social media. Singer Alicia Keys has also described gim as one of her favorite snacks.

Gim's popularity overseas appears to be driven not only by its taste but also by its nutritional qualities. It contains a range of nutrients, including protein, dietary fiber and minerals, and is relatively low in calories. Analysts say demand for gim is rising in line with consumer trends favoring convenient snacks that can be enjoyed while keeping health in mind.

Food Companies Roll Out a Series of Gim Bugak and Other Products

Kim. Getty Images Bank

Food companies are also seeing strong sales of snacks made with gim. According to CJ CheilJedang, cumulative sales of its three Bibigo Gim Bugak varieties—glutinous rice, spicy and shrimp—launched in June, were close to 500,000 bags as of the end of September. Global-focused stores, including Lotte Mart's Zettaplex Seoul Station, which attracts many foreign tourists, accounted for as much as 70% of sales.

Daesang's Chung Jung One has also introduced gim snacks aimed at foreign tourists visiting Korea. In August, Daesang launched three varieties of "Basasak Gim Bugak," reimagining gim bugak, a traditional Korean snack, as a modern snack. The product packaging features elements from the traditional Korean folk painting "Hojakdo," including a tiger, a magpie and a pine tree. The strategy is to incorporate Korean visual motifs into modern packaging and tap into foreign tourists' demand for K-food souvenirs.

"People Eat Gim Like Potato Chips"... Foreign Media Take Notice

Gim bugak. Getty Images Bank

As gim wins over consumers' taste buds overseas, it is also attracting growing attention from foreign media. In February, the BBC highlighted the popularity of Korean gim, noting that Korean pop culture content had helped introduce it to consumers overseas.

Miki, a 22-year-old Japanese tourist, also said, "I first learned about gim because it's a well-known Korean food that I often see in Korean dramas." She said Japan has a similar food called "nori," but that it tastes different. "Korean gim is lighter and crispier. It's usually roasted with sesame oil and salt, whereas Japanese nori is generally seasoned with soy sauce," she explained.

Viola, a tourist in her 60s from Brooklyn, New York, said she enjoys gim as a snack. "I eat it by popping it into my mouth like potato chips," she said. She added that it feels like "a healthier alternative."

Meanwhile, as the global seaweed snack market expands, opportunities for Korean gim to reach overseas markets are expected to grow. According to market research firm Grand View Research, the global seaweed snack market is estimated to be worth about $3 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $4.7 billion by 2030. Its compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2030 is 11.6%.

Market growth is expected to be supported by rising demand for nutritious snacks amid growing health consciousness, as well as the launch of a wider range of snack products made with seaweed.

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