BUSAN — As the rapid spread of GLP-1 obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro shifts the global food consumption paradigm from volume to nutrient density, a new report argues that Korea's seafood industry must restructure away from bulk raw products toward small-pack, nutrient-dense offerings. The report says the industry should treat consumers' growing preference for eating less but eating better as an opportunity to overhaul its business model.
GLP-1 treatments are substantially changing grocery spending patterns, according to KMI Trend Analysis No. 228, titled "In an Era of Shrinking Appetite, How Will Seafood Prepare for Changing Consumption?," released on the 22nd by the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI). An analysis by Cornell University and the market research firm Numerator found that grocery spending by households using GLP-1 drugs fell an average of 5.3% within six months of starting treatment. Consumption of ultra-processed foods such as snacks and confectionery dropped sharply, while demand for nutrient-dense foods, including protein and dietary fiber, rose steeply. Korea's own obesity drug market grew 137% in 2025 from a year earlier, making it the world's fifth-largest.
KMI researchers said seafood could be the biggest beneficiary of this shift, given its range of nutrients — protein and omega-3 fatty acids in fish, zinc and iron in shellfish, and dietary fiber in seaweed. But with annual per-capita seafood consumption in Korea sliding steadily from 70.2 kilograms in 2019 to 60.9 kilograms in 2023, they said the industry must move away from distribution practices that leave consumers to handle cleaning and cooking.
The researchers proposed smaller packages of whole fish, simplified preparation, sashimi portions for one or two people, and a wider range of high-protein, low-sodium processed foods. They also called for stronger nutritional information and per-serving labeling by product, research into functional ingredients derived from seafood, and export products tailored to overseas demand. At the policy level, they stressed the need to build scientific evidence on the health benefits of seafood and to shift dietary education and policy toward nutritional value rather than simply raising consumption volumes.
"Food consumption is changing in a direction that puts nutritional value and convenience ahead of volume," KMI President Cho Jung-hee said. "Based on the nutritional strengths of seafood, we need to identify innovative products that match shifting market demand and raise the global competitiveness of the seafood industry."