With No. 1 brand power in Korea, Dongwon Yangban seasoned laver is one of the most favorite side dishes that Koreans enjoy when they eat their staple of steamed rice.

Now, the dried seaweed is highly popular among Japanese consumers as well. Seasoned with salt and sesame oil, and then roasted gently, the Yangban seasoned laver’s crunchy and savory flavor appeals to men and women of all ages.

When it comes to the laver, called gim in Korea and nori in Japan, Dongwon F&B is second to none in Korea and the neighboring country. Since Dongwon F&B started exporting gim to Japan in the 1990s, the export volume has been on a constant rise, carving out about 23 percent of the market share for the seasoned seaweed this year. Reflecting its popularity, Yangban seasoned laver sells at major discount stores and supermarkets around Japan.

The company attributes the product’s appeal to consumers at home and abroad to the excellent dried laver’s unique taste and flavor thanks to usage of top-quality local laver cultivated in Korea and the dual roasting method. The Yangban seasoned laver are roasted twice at temperatures of 100° and 250°. And the company uses the aluminum packaging to keep the original taste and flavor of laver by blocking exposure to the light and oxygen. The individual packaging has also made making it a popular gift item among tourists with its great portability.

To rack up success in Japan, Dongwon developed new products that match the tastes of locals by adding the taste of kimchi or wasabi (mustard) with laver.
Japanese tend to eat them while drinking beer. With these laver products, Dongwon expand the presence in other foreign countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Singapore and so forth, shipping its dried seaweed products worth US$3 million.
Dongwon’s other best-selling export is Yangban kimchi, which topped first in blind tests for Japanese buyers, and now sells in around 100 stores of a Japanese retailer.

Dongwon F&B offers various dried seaweed products both in Korea and foreign countries and is one of the leading food companies in Korea with annual sales revenues of more than one trillion won.

Dongwon F&B provides about 250 types of processed food products and beverages under its various brand names such as Yangban, Richam, Sen Cook, Born M, etc., as well as its representative brand Dongwon. The key product lines of the company include canned tuna and canned seafood, ham and sausage, seasonal laver, frozen food products, edible oil, soft drinks, steamed rice, bottled water and beverages.

It is mainly engaged in producing and distributing processed meat products, spices, beverages, seafood products and agricultural products. Dongwon F&B distributes its products through department stores, sales agencies, discount stores and others channels. The company operates in Korea and also exports its products.

All of these products are manufactured in large-scale, well-maintained factories in Korea, which are equipped with advanced facilities. Also, Dongwon F&B’s Hazard Control System Standards refers to the HACCP.

● Dongwon F&B
275, Yangjae-dong, seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea
Tel: (82-2)589-3412
Website: dw.co.kr