South Korea Tuna Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Species, Type, and Region, 2026-2034
The South Korea tuna market size reached USD 893.4 Million in 2025. Looking forward, the market is expected to reach USD 1,198.1 Million by 2034, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 3.22 % during 2026-2034. The market is driven by strong domestic consumption, growing demand for ready-to-eat seafood, and increasing health awareness among consumers. Imports and local processing support market expansion, while sustainability and traceability concerns shape purchasing preferences. Convenience-driven retail formats further boost sales, collectively influencing the South Korea tuna market share.
SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET TRENDS:
Rising Health Consciousness and Protein Demand
South Korean consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious, leading to higher demand for nutritious, low-fat, high-protein foods like tuna. Tuna is a healthy food among others because it is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, low in protein, and rich in important nutrients. Due to the increase in the number of individuals focusing on healthy diets and physical activities, the consumption of tuna has increased tremendously in both fresh and canned tuna. The health tendencies, such as weight control and cardiac healthy products, also emphasize the popularity of tuna as a staple protein. In addition, the campaigns of the government and the food industry on healthy eating also contribute to the increased market reach. The increased health consciousness is one of the factors behind the stable demand, and tuna is becoming a common diet in the domestic kitchen and convenience food products in South Korea.
Expanding Domestic Processing and Import Capabilities
South Korea has a well-established tuna processing industry, supported by advanced cold-chain infrastructure and strategic port locations. The country imports large volumes of raw tuna from key suppliers, including the Philippines and Indonesia, which are processed domestically for local consumption and export. The robust processing sector ensures a consistent supply and enables product innovation tailored to Korean tastes. Additionally, South Korea’s leading seafood companies continue to invest in sustainable sourcing and international partnerships to secure long-term tuna supply. The combination of advanced processing facilities, a reliable import network, and strong supply chain logistics reinforces the country’s ability to meet growing consumer demand. This industrial strength plays a crucial role in driving the overall South Korea tuna market growth.
Growth in Convenience and Ready-to-Eat Food Segment
The rising pace of urban life in South Korea has increased demand for convenient and ready-to-eat meals. Tuna, especially in canned, pouched, or pre-seasoned forms, fits perfectly into this lifestyle. Busy consumers, including working professionals and students, favor tuna for its portability, long shelf life, and ease of preparation. Many brands are innovating with flavored tuna, meal kits, and single-serve options that cater to on-the-go consumption. Additionally, the popularity of lunchboxes (dosirak) and home meal replacements (HMR) has further embedded tuna into everyday meals. The alignment of tuna with convenience-driven consumer habits significantly supports its continued market growth and popularity in both retail and foodservice channels across South Korea.
SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET SEGMENTATION:
IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2026-2034. Our report has categorized the market based on species and type.
Species Insights:
Type Insights:
Regional Insights:
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE:
The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.
KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS REPORT
How has the South Korea tuna market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
What is the breakup of the South Korea tuna market on the basis of species?
What is the breakup of the South Korea tuna market on the basis of type?
What is the breakup of the South Korea tuna market on the basis of region?
What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Korea tuna market?
What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Korea tuna market?
What is the structure of the South Korea tuna market and who are the key players?
What is the degree of competition in the South Korea tuna market?
SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET TRENDS:
Rising Health Consciousness and Protein Demand
South Korean consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious, leading to higher demand for nutritious, low-fat, high-protein foods like tuna. Tuna is a healthy food among others because it is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, low in protein, and rich in important nutrients. Due to the increase in the number of individuals focusing on healthy diets and physical activities, the consumption of tuna has increased tremendously in both fresh and canned tuna. The health tendencies, such as weight control and cardiac healthy products, also emphasize the popularity of tuna as a staple protein. In addition, the campaigns of the government and the food industry on healthy eating also contribute to the increased market reach. The increased health consciousness is one of the factors behind the stable demand, and tuna is becoming a common diet in the domestic kitchen and convenience food products in South Korea.
Expanding Domestic Processing and Import Capabilities
South Korea has a well-established tuna processing industry, supported by advanced cold-chain infrastructure and strategic port locations. The country imports large volumes of raw tuna from key suppliers, including the Philippines and Indonesia, which are processed domestically for local consumption and export. The robust processing sector ensures a consistent supply and enables product innovation tailored to Korean tastes. Additionally, South Korea’s leading seafood companies continue to invest in sustainable sourcing and international partnerships to secure long-term tuna supply. The combination of advanced processing facilities, a reliable import network, and strong supply chain logistics reinforces the country’s ability to meet growing consumer demand. This industrial strength plays a crucial role in driving the overall South Korea tuna market growth.
Growth in Convenience and Ready-to-Eat Food Segment
The rising pace of urban life in South Korea has increased demand for convenient and ready-to-eat meals. Tuna, especially in canned, pouched, or pre-seasoned forms, fits perfectly into this lifestyle. Busy consumers, including working professionals and students, favor tuna for its portability, long shelf life, and ease of preparation. Many brands are innovating with flavored tuna, meal kits, and single-serve options that cater to on-the-go consumption. Additionally, the popularity of lunchboxes (dosirak) and home meal replacements (HMR) has further embedded tuna into everyday meals. The alignment of tuna with convenience-driven consumer habits significantly supports its continued market growth and popularity in both retail and foodservice channels across South Korea.
SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET SEGMENTATION:
IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2026-2034. Our report has categorized the market based on species and type.
Species Insights:
- Skipjack
- Yellowfin
- Albacore
- Bigeye
- Bluefin
Type Insights:
- Canned
- Frozen
- Fresh
Regional Insights:
- Seoul Capital Area
- Yeongnam (Southeastern Region)
- Honam (Southwestern Region)
- Hoseo (Central Region)
- Others
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE:
The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.
KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS REPORT
How has the South Korea tuna market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
What is the breakup of the South Korea tuna market on the basis of species?
What is the breakup of the South Korea tuna market on the basis of type?
What is the breakup of the South Korea tuna market on the basis of region?
What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Korea tuna market?
What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Korea tuna market?
What is the structure of the South Korea tuna market and who are the key players?
What is the degree of competition in the South Korea tuna market?
1 PREFACE
2 SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
2.1 Objectives of the Study
2.2 Stakeholders
2.3 Data Sources
2.3.1 Primary Sources
2.3.2 Secondary Sources
2.4 Market Estimation
2.4.1 Bottom-Up Approach
2.4.2 Top-Down Approach
2.5 Forecasting Methodology
3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - INTRODUCTION
4.1 Overview
4.2 Market Dynamics
4.3 Industry Trends
4.4 Competitive Intelligence
5 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET LANDSCAPE
5.1 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
5.2 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - BREAKUP BY SPECIES
6.1 Skipjack
6.1.1 Overview
6.1.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.1.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.2 Yellowfin
6.2.1 Overview
6.2.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.2.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.3 Albacore
6.3.1 Overview
6.3.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.3.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.4 Bigeye
6.4.1 Overview
6.4.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.4.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.5 Bluefin
6.5.1 Overview
6.5.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.5.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
7 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - BREAKUP BY TYPE
7.1 Canned
7.1.1 Overview
7.1.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
7.1.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
7.2 Frozen
7.2.1 Overview
7.2.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
7.2.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
7.3 Fresh
7.3.1 Overview
7.3.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
7.3.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET – BREAKUP BY REGION
8.1 Seoul Capital Area
8.1.1 Overview
8.1.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.1.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.1.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.1.5 Key Players
8.1.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.2 Yeongnam (Southeastern Region)
8.2.1 Overview
8.2.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.2.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.2.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.2.5 Key Players
8.2.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.3 Honam (Southwestern Region)
8.3.1 Overview
8.3.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.3.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.3.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.3.5 Key Players
8.3.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.4 Hoseo (Central Region)
8.4.1 Overview
8.4.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.4.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.4.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.4.5 Key Players
8.4.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.5 Others
8.5.1 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.5.2 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
9 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET – COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
9.1 Overview
9.2 Market Structure
9.3 Market Player Positioning
9.4 Top Winning Strategies
9.5 Competitive Dashboard
9.6 Company Evaluation Quadrant
10 PROFILES OF KEY PLAYERS
10.1 Company A
10.1.1 Business Overview
10.1.2 Products Offered
10.1.3 Business Strategies
10.1.4 SWOT Analysis
10.1.5 Major News and Events
10.2 Company B
10.2.1 Business Overview
10.2.2 Products Offered
10.2.3 Business Strategies
10.2.4 SWOT Analysis
10.2.5 Major News and Events
10.3 Company C
10.3.1 Business Overview
10.3.2 Products Offered
10.3.3 Business Strategies
10.3.4 SWOT Analysis
10.3.5 Major News and Events
10.4 Company D
10.4.1 Business Overview
10.4.2 Products Offered
10.4.3 Business Strategies
10.4.4 SWOT Analysis
10.4.5 Major News and Events
10.5 Company E
10.5.1 Business Overview
10.5.2 Products Offered
10.5.3 Business Strategies
10.5.4 SWOT Analysis
10.5.5 Major News and Events
11 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
11.1 Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities
11.1.1 Overview
11.1.2 Drivers
11.1.3 Restraints
11.1.4 Opportunities
11.2 Porters Five Forces Analysis
11.2.1 Overview
11.2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
11.2.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
11.2.4 Degree of Competition
11.2.5 Threat of New Entrants
11.2.6 Threat of Substitutes
11.3 Value Chain Analysis
12 APPENDIX
2 SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
2.1 Objectives of the Study
2.2 Stakeholders
2.3 Data Sources
2.3.1 Primary Sources
2.3.2 Secondary Sources
2.4 Market Estimation
2.4.1 Bottom-Up Approach
2.4.2 Top-Down Approach
2.5 Forecasting Methodology
3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - INTRODUCTION
4.1 Overview
4.2 Market Dynamics
4.3 Industry Trends
4.4 Competitive Intelligence
5 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET LANDSCAPE
5.1 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
5.2 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - BREAKUP BY SPECIES
6.1 Skipjack
6.1.1 Overview
6.1.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.1.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.2 Yellowfin
6.2.1 Overview
6.2.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.2.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.3 Albacore
6.3.1 Overview
6.3.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.3.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.4 Bigeye
6.4.1 Overview
6.4.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.4.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
6.5 Bluefin
6.5.1 Overview
6.5.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
6.5.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
7 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - BREAKUP BY TYPE
7.1 Canned
7.1.1 Overview
7.1.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
7.1.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
7.2 Frozen
7.2.1 Overview
7.2.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
7.2.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
7.3 Fresh
7.3.1 Overview
7.3.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
7.3.3 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET – BREAKUP BY REGION
8.1 Seoul Capital Area
8.1.1 Overview
8.1.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.1.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.1.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.1.5 Key Players
8.1.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.2 Yeongnam (Southeastern Region)
8.2.1 Overview
8.2.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.2.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.2.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.2.5 Key Players
8.2.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.3 Honam (Southwestern Region)
8.3.1 Overview
8.3.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.3.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.3.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.3.5 Key Players
8.3.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.4 Hoseo (Central Region)
8.4.1 Overview
8.4.2 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.4.3 Market Breakup by Species
8.4.4 Market Breakup by Type
8.4.5 Key Players
8.4.6 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
8.5 Others
8.5.1 Historical and Current Market Trends (?2020-2025?)
8.5.2 Market Forecast (??2026-2034?)
9 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET – COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
9.1 Overview
9.2 Market Structure
9.3 Market Player Positioning
9.4 Top Winning Strategies
9.5 Competitive Dashboard
9.6 Company Evaluation Quadrant
10 PROFILES OF KEY PLAYERS
10.1 Company A
10.1.1 Business Overview
10.1.2 Products Offered
10.1.3 Business Strategies
10.1.4 SWOT Analysis
10.1.5 Major News and Events
10.2 Company B
10.2.1 Business Overview
10.2.2 Products Offered
10.2.3 Business Strategies
10.2.4 SWOT Analysis
10.2.5 Major News and Events
10.3 Company C
10.3.1 Business Overview
10.3.2 Products Offered
10.3.3 Business Strategies
10.3.4 SWOT Analysis
10.3.5 Major News and Events
10.4 Company D
10.4.1 Business Overview
10.4.2 Products Offered
10.4.3 Business Strategies
10.4.4 SWOT Analysis
10.4.5 Major News and Events
10.5 Company E
10.5.1 Business Overview
10.5.2 Products Offered
10.5.3 Business Strategies
10.5.4 SWOT Analysis
10.5.5 Major News and Events
11 SOUTH KOREA TUNA MARKET - INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
11.1 Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities
11.1.1 Overview
11.1.2 Drivers
11.1.3 Restraints
11.1.4 Opportunities
11.2 Porters Five Forces Analysis
11.2.1 Overview
11.2.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
11.2.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
11.2.4 Degree of Competition
11.2.5 Threat of New Entrants
11.2.6 Threat of Substitutes
11.3 Value Chain Analysis
12 APPENDIX
