On the 30th of last month, a seaweed soup restaurant named Oilje located near Samgakji Station in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Even before the store opened at 10 a.m., Japanese customers were already gathered in groups outside the shop. The restaurant offers 50 bowls of perilla seed seaweed soup each day, with 30 of those bowls being consumed by Japanese customers. The establishment was packed with Japanese visitors of various ages, ranging from their 20s to those with gray hair. Sato, 43, who traveled from Osaka for a trip, stated, "I discovered this restaurant through a Japanese magazine and came here," and added, "I have eaten seaweed dishes all my life, but this is the first time I've experienced such a rich umami taste."
Recently, Korean seaweed has become popular among Japanese travelers. Restaurants offering seaweed soup and supermarkets are actively meeting the needs of Japanese customers. Although overall agricultural and food exports to Japan have dropped, seaweed exports have seen a yearly rise. According to export and import data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the total value of agricultural and food exports to Japan fell by 5.9%, from $2.15979 billion in 2022 to $2.03244 billion last year. Meanwhile, seaweed exports to Japan rose by 53.2%, increasing from $15.8 million to $24.2 million during the same time frame.
Oilje offers a seaweed soup prepared using tender seaweed from Geogumdo Island in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, stir-fried in perilla oil, and combined with bone broth made from high-quality Korean beef, known as hanwoo. The clear broth amplifies the umami flavor of the seaweed. The savory broth blends with the fragrance of perilla seeds. The rich rice, cooked in a pot with kelp, creates a harmonious combination. The rice is made from freshly milled Koshihikari. A basic tray includes small octopus jeot, young radish kimchi, and soy sauce.
The restaurant has been highlighted in Japanese media approximately 15 times. Next month, it plans to launch a temporary store in Osaka. There are also ongoing suggestions to establish pop-up locations in Tokyo and New York, USA. Chef Shin Dong-hoon, 41, who launched Oilje in 2023 following two decades in Western cooking, mentioned, “I designed the restaurant for different Korean age groups, but I never expected such a large number of Japanese customers.”
Seaweed soup chain restaurants located in tourist-heavy areas, such as Apgujeong, Jamsil Lotte Tower, and Jongno, have recently introduced Japanese-language menus. At a Lotte Mart near Seoul Station, a sign stating “Picked & Loved by Travelers” was placed on retort seaweed soup products like “Ottogi Namdo-style Korean Beef Seaweed Soup.” An official from Ottogi mentioned, “With more Japanese customers showing interest in seaweed products, we are examining locations with high tourist traffic to develop distribution strategies.”
Why are they interested in seaweed? Experts have mentioned "storytelling," "familiar novelty," and "anxiety" as factors. Firstly, as people learn more about Korea, travelers are looking beyond well-known Korean dishes and instead seeking out unique Korean foods that come with a background. Kim Hye-jun, a food content director, stated, "The idea that Koreans eat this on their birthdays is intriguing for tourists," and noted, "They are searching for the authentic dishes of locals, not those specifically made for tourists."
Japan is among the top countries in terms of seaweed consumption globally, alongside South Korea. It is also commonly used in doenjang-guk (soybean paste soup) (misojiru) and clear soup (sumashi-jiru). Although the flavor differs, there is also a Japanese seaweed soup known as wakame soup (wakame supū), which is often served in meat restaurants. Japanese cuisine is also well acquainted with bone broth and seafood broth. Lee Won-deok, a professor of Japanese studies at Kookmin University, stated, “Wakame soup is less greasy, and the seaweed floats in the water, making the rich Korean broth feel fresh,” and added, “Since the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant in 2023, concerns about local seafood and a desire for clean seafood have also risen.”
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