Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
NongHyup enters Japan's premium seaweed market with 1st raw laver export
Officials of the Gwangcheon Agricultural Cooperative pose at a branch office in Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province, Thursday. Courtesy of NongHyup Economic Holdings
By Jhoo Dong-chan
NongHyup Economic Holdings has made its first export of raw, unprocessed laver to Japan, expanding beyond the seasoned and processed seaweed products that have traditionally made up Korean laver exports to the country, the company said.
A shipping ceremony was held Thursday at the Gwangcheon Nonghyup cooperative in Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province — a region known for its laver production — to mark the export of "woncho gim," or raw laver, the seaweed material harvested from the sea before it is processed into sheets or seasoned products.
NongHyup said the Gwangcheon cooperative's raw laver was recognized in the quality-focused Japanese market for its soft texture, consistent quality and glossy black color.
The export follows roughly a year of support from NongHyup Economic Holdings and its trading arm, NH Trading, which have taken part in the Foodex Japan food exposition since last year to find buyers and manage negotiations, contracts and logistics.
The initial shipment totaled 0.7 tons and will supply Sushi Zanmai, one of Japan's major sushi restaurant chains. NongHyup said it plans to expand exports to as much as 20 tons by the end of the year as it pushes further into Japan's premium food ingredient market.
A NongHyup official overseeing food export support called the export "a meaningful achievement that shows the quality and competitiveness of our raw laver has been recognized in the Japanese market," adding that the organization will continue supporting export logistics and expanding overseas sales channels to strengthen the competitiveness of Korean agricultural and food products and boost farmers' incomes.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.