Data as of October 15, 2026: SEACHING company estimates and Korea Customs Service import values for October 2025–September 2026 (October 2024–September 2026 where noted). Regulations checked October 14, 2026.
Seafood importers in Korea fall into four groups: processors, trading and distribution houses, large retail and food-service groups, and offer agents. How many there are depends on the product. SEACHING estimates that 35 companies imported fresh Atlantic salmon into Korea from October 2025 to September 2026, against 422 for frozen squid.
Key takeaways
- SEACHING estimates that 422 Korean companies imported frozen squid (HS 0307.43.2090) and 35 imported fresh Atlantic salmon (HS 0302.14.0000) from October 2025 to September 2026.
- From October 2025 to September 2026, the top 10 importers held 82.1% of Korea’s fresh Atlantic salmon import records but only 20.0% of its frozen squid records (SEACHING estimates; share of records, not value).
- SEACHING estimates that 150 companies imported frozen mackerel into Korea from October 2024 to September 2026, but only 75 from October 2025 to September 2026.
- LINKSUP, a Busan seafood importer, estimates that only about 15% of Korean seafood importers buy directly from foreign suppliers (not an official statistic).
Who imports seafood into Korea?
Definition: seafood importer in Korea
A seafood importer in Korea is the company that files the import declaration with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), also called the importer of record. As of October 2026, it must be registered with MFDS as an importer-seller and is legally responsible for the safety and quality of the food. It may resell to wholesalers, processors or retailers, or import on behalf of another buyer.
Not all four types import in their own name.
| Type | What they buy | How they import | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processors and manufacturers | Raw material for further processing | Some import directly; others buy large lots from importers | Your product is their input, so send the specification sheet with the offer |
| Trading and distribution houses | Frozen and fresh product, resold to wholesalers, markets, processors and retail chains | In their own name; many keep stock in their own cold storage | They file the import declaration, so they appear in import data |
| Large retail and food-service groups | Processed, home meal replacement (HMR) and food-service products | Through importers that hold supply contracts with them; the USDA also counts large distributors among importers | Reach them through the importers that supply them |
| Offer agents (opeosang) | Whatever their buyers ask for | Pass offers to buyers; import in their own name only if registered with MFDS | Many Korean buyers purchase through introductions, which is the agent’s role |
Source: USDA FAS GAIN KS2025-0046 (November 25, 2025); Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Articles 15 and 20 (law base date September 15, 2026); LINKSUP written answers, October 13, 2026.
The table describes roles, not shares.
How many seafood importers are there in Korea?
Korea’s public import statistics are published by product and country, not by company. SEACHING, a Korea seafood trade data platform operated by LINKSUP, Inc. in Busan, estimates importers from import declaration data. Its figures for six products show two market shapes.
| Product (HS code) | Estimated importers, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 | Top 10 importers’ share of import records | Main origins, by number of importers buying from them | Korea’s imports, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (US$ million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh or chilled salmon fillets (0304.41.0000) | 21 | 94.3% | Norway 21, Chile 6 | 171.3 |
| Fresh or chilled Atlantic salmon (0302.14.0000) | 35 | 82.1% | Norway 34, Chile 7 | 276.4 |
| Frozen mackerel (0303.54.0000) | 75 | 61.3% | Norway 42, China 21 | 148.0 |
| Frozen shrimp meat (0306.17.1090) | 195 | 33.3% | Vietnam 134, China 69 | 415.7 |
| Frozen webfoot octopus (0307.52.3000) | 231 | 28.7% | Vietnam 192, Thailand 46 | 193.0 |
| Frozen squid, other (0307.43.2090) | 422 | 20.0% | China 216, Peru 146 | 329.7 |
Source: SEACHING analysis of Korea Customs Service and MFDS data, query of October 15, 2026. Counts and shares are estimates for October 2025–September 2026; shares count import records, not value. An importer can buy from several origins.
Fresh salmon is a short list. SEACHING estimates 35 importers of fresh Atlantic salmon from October 2025 to September 2026, and the top 5 held 52.9% of import records. The median importer filed 39 import records in that period, and 34 of the 35 bought from Norway. That points to a small group of frequent buyers already supplied from Norway.
Frozen squid is a crowd. SEACHING estimates 422 importers of frozen squid, and the top 10 held only 20.0% of records. The median importer filed 5 records, and 93 importers filed just one. About a fifth are one-time buyers, so sort out the regular importers first.
Count the importers who already buy your origin. Of the 195 estimated importers of frozen shrimp meat, 134 bought from Vietnam and 22 from India. An Indian exporter should start with those 22.
Check whether a company still imports. SEACHING estimates 150 importers of frozen mackerel from October 2024 to September 2026 but 75 from October 2025 to September 2026. Half the companies in the two-year window had no import record in the latest 12 months.
Why do so few Korean companies import directly?
LINKSUP estimates that only about 15% of Korean seafood importers buy directly from foreign suppliers. LINKSUP also estimates that 85–90% of Korea’s seafood imports pass through offer agents. Neither is an official statistic. According to LINKSUP, the companies that do import directly are mostly seafood manufacturers, processors and distributors, or trading and distribution houses. The causes are covered in why most of Korea’s seafood imports go through agents, and the route after customs in how imported seafood is distributed in Korea.
Common misconceptions about Korean seafood importers
“Companies on importer directory sites are active importers.” A directory entry shows that a company exists, not that it imported your product this year. The mackerel figures show how fast that changes.
“I should email the big retailers first.” Many Korean importers hold supply contracts with large retail chains, according to the USDA. Your first customer is more likely that importer.
“An offer agent is a customs broker.” No. A customs broker (gwansesa) files paperwork for the importer; an offer agent finds buyers and supply. The registered importer carries legal responsibility.
Which type of importer should you contact first?
Match the type to how your product is sold in Korea.
| What you sell | Contact first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen staples (squid, shrimp meat, octopus) | Trading houses and processors that already import your product from your origin | 195–422 estimated importers; the top 10 hold 20.0–33.3% of records |
| Fresh or chilled salmon | The small group of established importers | 21–35 estimated importers; the top 10 hold 82.1–94.3% of records |
| Raw material for further processing | Processors that import directly, or the importer that supplies them | Importers sell large lots directly to processors (USDA) |
| Processed or HMR products | Importers that supply retail chains and food service | Importers hold supply contracts with retail chains (USDA) |
| No Korean contacts yet | An offer agent | Many Korean buyers purchase through introductions (LINKSUP) |
Source: SEACHING estimates, Oct 2025–Sep 2026 (share of records); USDA; LINKSUP.
Korean importers “highly value face-to-face meetings when building new business partnerships,” and food shows are among the best places to meet them, according to the USDA. The U.S. Commercial Service notes that cold calls are generally not accepted in Korea. See how to meet Korean buyers at the Busan seafood expo and why cold emails to Korean buyers go unanswered. Before a first order, read what Korean importers check before placing a first order and how Korean buyers describe the product they want.
Find the importers of your product
Start with your HS code and origin, then keep the companies that import often and recently. The method is in how to find seafood buyers in Korea using import data and how to verify a Korean seafood importer. For paperwork, see the guide to exporting seafood to Korea; for gaps in other databases, see why bill-of-lading databases show so few Korean importers.
On SEACHING, a product page’s Companies tab lists estimated importers, their import records and origins, with an origin filter. Below is frozen squid for October 2025–September 2026, with names blurred.
You can open the same view for frozen squid imports by origin, Korean importers of frozen shrimp meat or fresh Atlantic salmon import data (free sign-up).
SEACHING estimates which Korean companies import a given product and from where, based on customs and MFDS import declaration data. Company-level figures are statistical estimates, not confirmed contracts. Find importers of your product (free sign-up)
FAQ
Is there an official list of seafood importers in Korea?
No. Korea’s public import statistics, such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries monthly file built from Korea Customs Service data, give volume and value by product and country, not by company.
Can I sell seafood directly to a Korean retailer without an importer?
Not without a registered importer. As of October 2026, the import declaration for food sold in Korea must be filed by a business registered with MFDS as an importer-seller. A retailer can buy from you only if it holds that registration or uses an importer that does.
Does my plant need to be registered before a Korean importer can buy from me?
Yes. As of October 2026, the foreign facility must be registered with MFDS before the import declaration; the importer or the facility operator can apply. Registration lasts two years, and MFDS can refuse a declaration for an unregistered facility. The steps are in MFDS foreign food facility registration for seafood exporters.
Sources and method
- SEACHING company data, HS 0302.14.0000, 0304.41.0000, 0303.54.0000, 0306.17.1090, 0307.52.3000 and 0307.43.2090, imports, query of October 15, 2026: estimated importers, exporters and share of import records held by the top 5 and top 10 importers, October 2025–September 2026 and October 2024–September 2026. Company-level figures are estimates. Shares count import records, not value. SEACHING returned no company data for frozen Alaska pollock (0303.67.0000).
- SEACHING monthly import values, HS 10-digit, all origins, October 2025 to September 2026, built on Korea Customs Service data and cross-checked against the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries file on data.go.kr, retrieved October 15, 2026
- Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Articles 15 and 20, via Easy Law, Ministry of Government Legislation, law base date September 15, 2026, checked October 14, 2026
- Special Act on Imported Food Safety Control, Article 5, Korean Law Information Center, version in force October 8, 2026, checked October 14, 2026
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Imported Food (English), checked October 14, 2026
- USDA FAS GAIN KS2025-0046, Korea Seafood Market Update 2025, November 25, 2025
- USDA FAS GAIN KS2025-0023, Exporter Guide Annual, August 5, 2025
- U.S. Commercial Service, South Korea Country Commercial Guide: Business Travel, June 29, 2026
- LINKSUP estimates and statements: written answers from LINKSUP, Inc., October 13, 2026. The 85–90% and 15% figures are LINKSUP estimates, not official statistics.