The South Korean government has applied to register the "K·GIM" wordmark and logo as a trademark, aiming to spread "GIM," the Korean-style English spelling for Korean seaweed, across global markets. Although gim has grown into a major export item, earning the nickname "black semiconductor," it is still commonly known in overseas markets by the Japanese term "Nori" or the generic term "Seaweed."
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Monday it had begun procedures to file for the "K·GIM" wordmark and logo trademark in 52 countries, including Korea. It recently completed its domestic trademark registration application and plans to complete domestic registration as early as December after a priority review by the Korean Intellectual Property Office starting this month. In January next year, it will pursue overseas trademark filings in 51 major gim-exporting countries, including the United States, Japan, China, Russia and Thailand, through the Madrid international application system.
The subject of trademark protection is the "K·GIM" wordmark and logo. The logo, modeled after the K·FISH certification logo, combines graphics and text in vertical and horizontal formats. However, the logo cannot be freely used by all gim companies. Instead, it will be managed so that only gim exporters certified under K·FISH — the integrated certification brand the ministry grants to exported seafood products — are permitted to use it. The aim is to develop it not as a simple promotional slogan but as an export mark closer to a national certification brand for Korean gim.
The government is accelerating its trademark efforts because gim exports are growing rapidly, while the name for Korean gim has not yet been unified in overseas markets. Gim exports surged more than 60% in four years, from $690 million in 2021 to $1.13 billion in 2025. However, various names such as Nori and Seaweed are still used interchangeably abroad, limiting efforts to spread a brand identity unique to Korean gim.
Along with securing the trademark, the government is also working on international standardization of gim product specifications. The ministry secured approval at the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) general assembly last November to begin new work converting three types — dried laver, roasted laver and seasoned laver — into global standards, and expects to pass an interim review this month. If Korean gim product specifications become international standards, customs delays and additional costs incurred in responding to different specifications and labeling standards from country to country will decrease, which is expected to give gim exports further momentum.
"We expect the global standing of Korean gim to be further solidified through the spread of the K·GIM name and international standardization," a ministry official said.
