Winter delicacy returns to Korea as plunging Pacific catch drives up prices
Summary
Pohang launched the 2026–2027 gwamegi season at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday as a sharp decline in Pacific saury catches pushed wholesale fish costs up nearly 40 percent from last year. Producers have absorbed much of the increase, but shipping prices are up roughly 20 percent, and the cooperative head warned that processing could end early if global catch conditions do not improve. Pohang is promoting the delicacy with a monthslong festival campaign, including the Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival this weekend.
Key Facts
- Gwamegi is made in Guryongpo by hanging cleaned saury on wooden racks to dry and cure in freezing night temperatures and icy coastal winds over several weeks.
- The Pohang Guryongpo Gwamegi Industry Cooperative’s head, Jang Chun-soo, said members had cut margins to the minimum to cushion consumers amid an unprecedented raw-supply imbalance.
- The Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Ara Square in Guryongpo, followed by a pop-up tour at major capital-region transit hubs, including Seoul Station on Nov. 16.
- Pohang Mayor Pak Yong-son said the city is using strict quality control and food safety checks to ensure consumers receive authentic gwamegi.
National Assembly lawmakers pose at a promotional event for Pohang’s 'Guryongpo gwamegi,' a winter delicacy of Pacific saury, at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Pohang City
As the first crisp autumn winds sweep across the East Sea, the port city of Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province begins producing "gwamegi" — Korea’s cherished winter delicacy of dried Pacific saury. But this season, a sharp slump in oceanic catches is turning the savory staple into a luxury commodity.
Pohang launched a nationwide promotional blitz on Wednesday at the National Assembly in Seoul, introducing the 2026–2027 season. Celebrated for its rich, chewy texture and deeply savory flavor, gwamegi is traditionally crafted in the seaside town of Guryongpo by hanging cleaned saury on wooden racks, allowing the freezing night temperatures and icy coastal winds to slowly dry and cure the fish over several weeks.
In Korean culinary culture, the delicacy holds a storied place as a nutrient-dense winter superfood. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, the partially dried fish is prized for promoting cardiovascular health and circulation. It is typically served wrapped in fresh seaweed or perilla leaves, with spring onions and a dab of vinegar and chili sauce as condiments.
However, this year’s celebrations are being dampened by growing ecological and economic strain.
Dwindling Pacific saury catches have driven wholesale fish costs up nearly 40 percent compared to last year. Local producers have absorbed much of the burden to cushion retail buyers, but wholesale shipping prices have still risen roughly 20 percent.
"Our members have cut margins to the absolute minimum for consumers, but we face an unprecedented imbalance in raw supply," said Jang Chun-soo, head of the Pohang Guryongpo Gwamegi Industry Cooperative. Jang warned that unless global catch conditions improve, processing plants could be forced to end production early this winter.
To boost consumer interest despite rising costs, Pohang is rolling out a monthslong festival campaign. The annual Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival will run Saturday and Sunday at Ara Square in Guryongpo, followed by a pop-up tour across major transit hubs in the capital region, including Seoul Station on Nov. 16.
"Guryongpo gwamegi is a gift shaped by the clean East Sea and winter sea breezes," Pohang Mayor Pak Yong-son said. "Through strict quality control and food safety checks, we are ensuring consumers receive an authentic, healthy taste of winter."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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