A national-level infrastructure aimed at transforming the southwestern seafood industry of South Jeolla Province into a high-value processing and export sector has been established in Mokpo.
The completion of the country's first seafood export complex, which consolidates processing, storage, distribution, research and development, and export support functions, positions Mokpo as a potential key hub in the global seaweed industry.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City announced on October 30 that it held a completion ceremony for the 'Mokpo Seafood Export Complex' at the Daeyang General Industrial Complex, with a total investment of 117.9 billion won.
The ceremony was attended by over 300 participants, including Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Mayor Min Hyung-bae, the Director of Fisheries Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Mayor of Mokpo, the Chair of the Mokpo City Council, special city council members, and industry representatives.
The export complex was developed over seven years from 2020 to this year, with a total investment of 770 billion won from the national government, 165 billion won from the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, and 244 billion won from Mokpo City.
Covering an area of 28,133 square meters with a total floor area of 46,612 square meters, the complex includes 36 rental processing facilities, 10 cold storage and refrigerated warehouses, export support facilities, and an International Dried Seaweed Exchange.
The core of this project is to establish an industrial base that goes beyond simple raw material sales of locally produced seafood, focusing on processing, commercialization, and research and development for overseas markets.
The complex is expected to alleviate the production and distribution burdens for small and medium-sized seafood companies by consolidating processing facilities, cold storage, and export support functions that individual companies may find difficult to secure on their own.
A key facility is the International Dried Seaweed Exchange.
Set to begin pilot operations in February, the exchange aims to enhance price formation based on the quality of dried seaweed and improve transaction transparency, fostering trust between producers and buyers.
While the seaweed industry has focused on increasing production and export growth, the standardization of quality and the establishment of a reliable trading system are emerging as critical challenges for competitiveness.
If the International Dried Seaweed Exchange operates stably, it is expected to provide producers with a reasonable trading foundation and export companies with stable raw material procurement and market information.
The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City plans to link this export complex with existing seaweed industry institutions in Mokpo to create an industrial ecosystem that connects research and development, product production, and overseas market expansion.
Additionally, efforts are underway to attract the National Seaweed Industry Promotion Institute and designate a seaweed industry promotion zone to develop the southwestern region into a core hub for the domestic seaweed industry.
However, given the significant budget invested in the facility, securing actual operational results such as attracting tenant companies, operational rates of processing facilities, and export performance will remain important tasks.
The International Dried Seaweed Exchange will also need to establish a stable trading participation base and solidify quality standards and trading operational systems to determine future competitiveness.
Min Hyung-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, stated, "The Mokpo Seafood Export Complex is a solid foundation that connects processing, research, trading, and export to enhance the added value of seafood products while boosting the competitiveness of companies and the income of fishermen."
He added, "We will fully support Mokpo in leading the global market for K-seaweed and K-seafood, ensuring that the potential of the sea translates into business growth, which in turn will enhance fishermen's incomes and create jobs in the region."
The Mokpo Seafood Export Complex is the country's first national seafood export complex, and as the pilot operations of the International Dried Seaweed Exchange and the production activities of tenant companies commence, it is expected to support the high value-added and export expansion of seafood products in the southwestern region of Jeolla. There is growing interest in whether the local seafood industry can evolve from a production-centric model to one that encompasses processing, distribution, and export.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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