Marine and fisheries companies from Gwangju, Jeonnam, have successfully secured $1.4 million in export contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) at the country's largest seafood expo.
The Jeonnam Marine Fisheries Startup Investment Support Center announced on November 10 that it participated in the '2026 Busan International Seafood Expo (BISFE 2026)' held from November 4 to 6 at BEXCO in Busan, achieving $1.1 million from four export contracts and $300,000 from three MOUs.
Now in its 24th year, the Busan International Seafood Expo featured 506 companies from 32 countries across 1,300 booths. The event served as a platform for industry stakeholders to share the latest trends in seafood products and explore overseas market opportunities.
The Jeonnam Marine Fisheries Startup Investment Support Center operated a unified promotional booth with ten stalls, supporting eight local beneficiary companies in their domestic and international market development.
Participating companies showcased their self-developed seafood products, processed goods, and functional items, focusing on demonstrating their quality and competitiveness to domestic and international buyers.
Notably, the expo went beyond mere product displays, actively facilitating on-site consultations with overseas buyers that led to actual export contracts and MOUs, adding significance to the event.
This achievement highlights the growing global interest in K-food and confirms the potential for Gwangju's seafood products in international markets.
The center plans to maintain ongoing relationships with overseas buyers secured during the expo and enhance follow-up support to ensure that the signed contracts and MOUs translate into stable export results.
Additionally, it aims to expand its support system tailored to the growth stages of local seafood companies, enabling them to secure overseas distribution networks and diversify export markets.
Jeong Woo-hyeok, acting head of the Marine Bio Division at the Jeonnam Bio Promotion Agency, stated, “This expo demonstrated a results-oriented participation model where on-site consultations led to actual contracts, rather than just exhibiting products. We will strengthen buyer follow-up management and support for overseas market access to help Gwangju's marine and fisheries startups evolve into technology-based export companies.”
The local marine and fisheries industry believes that to ensure the success of these contracts is not a one-time event but leads to sustained exports, it is essential to secure product competitiveness, establish stable production and supply systems, and manage overseas clients effectively.
Meanwhile, the Jeonnam Marine Fisheries Startup Investment Support Center's initiative is a matching project involving the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Gwangju Jeonnam Integrated Special City, and Mokpo City, led by the Jeonnam Bio Promotion Agency and jointly executed by the Mokpo Seafood Support Center. It comprehensively supports local marine and fisheries companies through startup education, initial funding, technology development, investment attraction, overseas market exploration, and participation in domestic and international expos, striving to enhance the competitiveness of the local fisheries industry and establish a foundation for company growth.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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