The World Federation of Korean Business Associations (World-OKTA), led by Chairman Park Jong-beom, announced that eight companies from Korea, Japan, and China signed a $100 million seaweed export contract at the '2026 Korea Business Expo in Shenzhen' held in China.
The signing ceremony took place on October 9 at a special stage in the exhibition hall. Two Korean companies, two Japanese companies, and four Chinese companies participating in the Saemangeum Seafood Industrial Complex export activation consortium signed the joint contract. The total contract amount combines agreements with six companies from Japan and China.
In Korea, the participating companies were Seonjin Labor English Cooperative and English Cooperative. From Japan, Shin International and Namiki Nori Co., Ltd. took part, while the Chinese companies included Yanyun Port Xinxin Food Co., Ltd., Yanyun Port Mi Food Co., Ltd., Shandong Naha Marine Development Co., Ltd., and Weihai Haifeng International Trade Co., Ltd.
This contract aims to expand the overseas sales of processed products using raw seaweed produced in Gunsan. Shin Sang-yoon, the representative of Shin International and vice president in charge of project execution at World-OKTA, explained that his local business experience and trading network laid the foundation for cooperation among the three countries' companies. Having worked in the Korean seaweed business in Japan for about 30 years, Vice President Shin established a cooperative system for expanding exports with existing trading partners. He stated, "We aimed to create a structure where China imports from Korea and then expands into the global market. This contract is not just a memorandum of understanding (MOU) but an export contract based on existing trading relationships."
The participating companies plan to leverage Gunsan's seaweed production base and domestic processing capabilities, connecting with the manufacturing and distribution networks of Japanese and Chinese firms to enhance overseas supply. They also intend to establish a stable raw material supply and quality control system in conjunction with the future construction of production and processing facilities at the Saemangeum Seafood Export Processing Complex, while developing products tailored to overseas demand.
Meanwhile, World-OKTA and the Shenzhen Commercial Association jointly opened the '30th World Korean Businessmen's Conference and 2026 Korea Business Expo in Shenzhen' on October 8. The event sought to explore opportunities for export, investment, and technological cooperation among domestic companies, Chinese firms, and Korean businesspeople from around the world.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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