Photo: Union Forsea Corp.

South Korea's Seafood Imports Surge in First Half of 2025, Led by Mackerel Boom

SOUTH KOREA
Wednesday, July 09, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

Overall import value climbs 9%, driven by soaring mackerel, squid, and clam volumes, even as key staples like pollock see declines.

Seoul – South Korea's seafood imports have seen a significant uptick in the first half of 2025, with both volume and value showing robust growth compared to the same period last year. A notable surge in mackerel imports, among other species, points to evolving domestic consumption trends.

According to data released by Union Forsea Corp., a leading Korean seafood specialist, total import volume reached 460,363 tons from January to June, a 3.4% increase from 445,276 tons in H1 2024. The corresponding import value climbed an impressive 9%, hitting USD 2.1085 billion, up from USD 1.92746 billion in the previous year.

Mackerel Leads the Charge Amidst Shifting Demand

The top 10 most-imported seafood species for the period included frozen pollock, mackerel, squid, monkfish, webfoot octopus, live short-necked clams, pollock roe, octopus, frozen squid tubes, and squid fins. Among these, frozen mackerel, squid, live clams, and squid tubes all experienced significant increases in import volumes, signaling a rising domestic appetite for these particular products.

Frozen mackerel emerged as a standout performer, recording a striking 51% year-on-year increase to reach 38,500 tons, up from 25,430 tons in H1 2024. This makes mackerel a considerable force, accounting for 10% of South Korea's total seafood imports. Following closely, frozen squid tubes surged 47%, from 7,177 tons to 10,558 tons, while overall frozen squid imports rose 11% to 20,326 tons. Imports of live short-necked clams also climbed a healthy 23% to 11,808 tons.

Declines in Other Key Products Signal Market Shifts

Despite overall growth, several high-volume items experienced declines, reflecting dynamic shifts in the market. Frozen pollock, which remains the largest single imported seafood item comprising 15% of Korea’s total, saw a 10% drop, from 65,499 tons to 59,054 tons. Similarly, frozen monkfish imports fell 9%, from 19,442 tons to 17,663 tons.

Other products experiencing decreases included frozen webfoot octopus (down 4%), frozen pollock roe (down 2%), frozen octopus (down 1%), and frozen squid fins (down 11%, from 11,383 tons to 10,130 tons).

These diverging trends underscore a complex interplay between changing consumer preferences within South Korea and broader global seafood market conditions. How these import patterns will continue to evolve in the second half of the year will be a key indicator for the industry.

Source: Union Forsea Crop.

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