South Korea’s exports of seasoned laver, a type of edible seaweed, has posted a new high thanks to strong popularity abroad.
 
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on Wednesday that South Korea’s exports of seasoned laver amounted to 370 million dollars in the first eight months of this year. That’s up nearly 52 percent from the same period last year.
 
The figure surpassed last year’s total exports of 350 million dollars, which had been the highest figure on an annual basis.
 
The ministry explained that exports are surging as seasoned laver is gaining strong popularity abroad, including in the U.S., as a low-calorie healthy food.
 
Thanks to the brisk exports of seasoned laver, South Korea’s overall exports of marine products in the first eight months of this year climbed eleven-and-a-half percent to more than one-and-a-half billion dollars, posting growth for 16 consecutive months.