Korea’s frozen gimbap has already made waves in the United States, the world’s largest consumer market. More recently, its popularity has grown further after a scene in K-Pop Demon Hunters featured the main character, Rumi, eating gimbap. (Image source: Netflix)
SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s booming frozen gimbap exports to the United States are faltering under new trade barriers, even as instant noodles and sauces continue to thrive in global markets.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Sunday that U.S. tariffs of 15 percent on Korean processed rice products have sharply eroded demand for frozen gimbap, long the leading driver of Korea’s rice-based exports.
From January to August, exports of rice-processed foods fell 4.8 percent to $183 million, reversing the double-digit growth seen last year. The U.S. remains the top buyer of frozen gimbap, with CJ CheilJedang, Sajo Daerim, and Allgot among the major exporters.
Samples of gimbap, or seaweed rice rolls, are displayed during an exhibition in Seoul in this file photo taken Nov. 22, 2023. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Industry officials say the tariffs raise retail prices by at least 20 percent, undermining gimbap’s core appeal as a cheaper, healthier alternative to sandwiches in the U.S. market. Local importers have begun scaling back or canceling orders, despite aggressive promotions by Korean companies.
By contrast, ramen exports are setting records. Shipments surged 22 percent year-on-year in the January–August period to $978 million, already surpassing $1 billion as of September.
Annual exports are expected to exceed $1.5 billion for the first time. Samyang Foods’ “Buldak” spicy noodle series has fueled the boom, selling more than 8 billion units worldwide since its debut, nearly matching the global population.
Korean sauces are also expanding their global footprint. Exports rose 5.2 percent to $273 million over the same period, led by Samyang’s Buldak sauces and CJ CheilJedang’s K-sauce lines now stocked at Walmart and Target in the U.S. Daesang Corp. has also made sauces a strategic focus, exporting over 500 products to 40 countries.
Officials and industry analysts warn that unless Washington’s tariffs ease, frozen gimbap exports may continue to decline into next year — a sharp contrast to the runaway success of ramen and sauces that have become staples of the K-food wave.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
