Seafood to Korea 2026
Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry welcome you to join the visit on 2. – 6. November focusing on opportunities in the seafood sector in South Korea.
The visit program provides you with an opportunity to showcase your products, meet local importers, distributors and retailers in two major cities in South Korea, Busan Seoul. In Busan we will participate in the international seafood expo BISFE 2026.
Why Join?
South Korea is one of the world’s largest seafood-consuming nations, both in total volume and per capita intake. With annual seafood imports reaching 2 million tons, worth around US$6 billion, and per capita consumption of over 62 kgs, Korea consistently ranks within the world’s top tier in terms of overall demand. This reflects not only the country’s strong seafood-oriented culinary culture but also its advanced cold-chain infrastructure and broad, well-established distribution networks across retail and food service sectors.
In recent years, Korea’s seafood consumption has continued to expand, driven by increasing interest in healthy, high-quality protein and a growing preference for sustainable and traceable food sources. Imported seafood products have gained significant momentum as Korean buyers actively seek new species, premium quality, and differentiated origins to meet evolving consumer expectations.
Top imports by species in Korea by Value (2025) are Squid, Salmon, Shrimp meat, Shrimp, Alaska Pollack, Long-legged Octopus, Tuna, Mackerel, Webfoot Octopus, Flatfish (Plaice).
However, opportunities are available for more familiar species from the Finnish perspective such as salmon, rainbow trout and herring.
Who should attend?
Seafood and Fisheries sector companies focusing on the Asian market. Easy seafood meal solutions, seafood and fish products for products targeting either retail, food service channels or food industry. Companies should already have the readiness to start export business to east Asia.
Practicalities
To cover the expenses of arranging the visit program in South Korea participants will share the costs based on following principles:
Company registration fee: 3250 EUR (+20€ management fee)
Flights and accommodation are not included in the participation fee.
The invoiced fee will not exceed the amounts mentioned above. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will partly cover the cost of organizing the visit.
A minimum of four participating companies is required for this event to take place.
To participate, companies must complete the online registration form, which takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Your participation will be confirmed with a separate email.
Registration will close on 30 June 2026. Please note that registration is binding.
