GOSEONG — Along the coastal road in Goseong, Gangwon State, an open field where dogs can run and a pet food store come into view. This is the home of Donghae Hyeongssi, a company built on an unfamiliar premise: feeding fish to dogs. Here, fish caught off the coast of Goseong are reborn as treats for dogs.
Kim Eun-yul, who worked in design and branding in Seoul, returned to the hometown to start a business that adds new value to local seafood. In an interview with The Seoul Economic Daily on the 19th, Kim said, "While thinking about how to revive my hometown's fishing industry, I combined the idea of feeding fish to dogs with local seafood." Kim added, "I want to create new opportunities for the region through a business started in my hometown and earn recognition for its competitiveness in global markets."
Donghae Hyeongssi, founded by Kim in 2019, makes treats and pet food for dogs using local seafood. Kim focused on the possibility that seafood such as cod and amberjack could serve as a new alternative in a pet food market built around meat. "Fish are rich in nutrients such as protein and omega-3, and they can be sourced locally, so I thought they could replace meat," Kim said. "I wanted to make a differentiated product that brings out the character of the raw ingredients while allowing consumers to verify its safety."
Kim judged that pet food for dogs made from seafood could be an opportunity to target a niche market. When the business began, seafood-based pet food was so unfamiliar that people asked whether dogs even eat fish, but a turning point came when the products were shown directly to consumers at offline trade shows. "Consumers who were curious about dog treats made from seafood showed interest, and it spread by word of mouth," Kim said.
What Kim considered most important in product development was preserving the inherent character of the raw ingredients. The company minimizes salt and additives and concentrates on retaining the natural taste and aroma of the fish. Under the philosophy that pets, like people, should eat good ingredients, the company has also developed unusual products such as sushi and mulhoe, a cold raw fish soup, for dogs. "We make our products with the mindset of making something equal to what people eat," Kim said. "We also plan to convert the store into an open-kitchen format so that consumers and buyers can see the process of processing raw ingredients into products."
Kim has been especially consistent about the principle of shared growth with the region. The company uses seafood caught near Goseong as raw material and produces its goods at manufacturing facilities in Goseong and Sokcho. It also contributes to job creation by employing local residents at the store and the production plant. "Primary industries do not generate high added value for their output, and they are heavily affected by factors such as the climate, so those working in them face hardship," Kim said. "I wanted to open a new market for people working in the fishing industry."
Because the business is rooted in fisheries, preserving the marine environment is also an important task. Kim emphasizes the principle of avoiding indiscriminate fishing and using seafood caught through offshore fishing in nearby waters. The reasoning is that if fishery resources are depleted, not only the local fishing industry but also companies that use them as raw materials will struggle to secure sustainability. "Donghae Hyeongssi's catchphrase is 'only as much as the sea allows,'" Kim said. "Protecting the marine environment is also important for a sustainable business."
The company is also pursuing projects that link pet culture with regional tourism, going beyond pet food. To attract pet-owning tourists to Goseong, Kim organized the Goseong Pet Culture and Arts Festival in 2024, bringing together local artists and companies in the pet industry. The aim was to let people enjoy pet culture content in the region as well, rather than only in the greater Seoul area, through exhibitions, lectures and hands-on programs. More recently, the company has been broadening its collaborations into clothing, tableware and merchandise, along with a food project called Gagyanggaksik — meals in various forms that people and pets can share together.
Donghae Hyeongssi has expanded its overseas sales channels since taking part in a pet expo in Singapore in 2024. It currently exports to seven countries, including the U.S., Singapore and Hong Kong. In the U.S., its largest market, it supplies products to more than seven stores in western cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas. In Japan, the company plans to expand its push into the local market, including pop-up stores in Nagoya and Tokyo this year. "We received an original design manufacturing, or ODM, offer from a global pet food company, but after much thought we turned it down in order to build our own brand," Kim said. "I want to be recognized in overseas markets as an independent brand, not simply as a company that manufactures products."
What Kim ultimately wants to build is a company that keeps growing in the region. "The reason for not leaving my hometown even after the company grows is that I want to create a base where people can work and live without leaving the region," Kim said. "I want to keep using seafood, the identity of my hometown, and grow into a company that competes in global markets with Goseong as its base."