What Is Laver (Gim)? The Korean Seaweed On Every Table, Its Benefits and Types

Last Updated on April 20, 2026

Gim (김), also called laver in English, has been one of my favorite foods since I moved to Korea. Before I arrived here, I had no real sense of how many different kinds of seaweed existed or how differently each one was used. Most Western markets carry one vaguely seaweed-shaped product for sushi. Come to Korea and there are aisles of different varieties, each with specific uses and preparation methods.

Gim in particular is everywhere, it’s on every restaurant table as a side dish (banchan), it’s used to wrap rice balls, it’s a topping for soups instead of extra salt, and in my house it occasionally just replaces potato chips. It’s crispy, it tastes good, and it’s healthy in a way that most snacks are not.

Feel free to skip around to find out more about gim/laver:

• What Is Gim? What Is Laver? Are They The Same?
• Gim Vs. Nori: The Key Differences
• Is Laver Healthy?
• How Laver Is Produced In Korea
• The Four Main Types Of Korean Gim
• How To Store Laver
• Where To Buy Gim In Korea & Abroad

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What Is Gim? What is Laver? Are They The Same?

Gim (김) is the Korean word for laver, an edible seaweed. So yes, gim and laver are the same thing. The most commonly cultivated species in Korea is Pyropia yezoensis, followed by Pyropia tenera. The algae grows naturally in the oceans surrounding the southern parts of the Korean peninsula.

It comes in several forms: unflavored sheets, sesame oil and salt seasoned versions for eating with rice or soups, and the thicker unseasoned sheets used for making gimbap (Korean seaweed rice rolls). When buying, knowing which type you need matters, the oiled and salted version that’s perfect for topping soup won’t work for rolling gimbap.

Before I came to Korea, I had no idea how many different kinds of seaweed there were. Most American markets will stock a kind of gim, or dried seaweed known as laver, that can be used to make rice rolls, but not much else. Come to Korea and there are aisles and aisles of different kinds of seaweed and each is used for something different. Our family favorite is Daechun seaweed, but some other good options are Wang Korean Roasted Seaweed and NongHyup Roasted Sesame Oil Laver Seaweed.

Gim isn’t unique to Korea. It’s eaten around the world: Wales makes laverbread from it, Ireland eats it with bacon, the Philippines uses it in desserts. Coastal cultures across Asia and Europe have their own relationships with laver that developed independently. But the Korean cultivation and preparation of gim into the thin, crisp, seasoned sheets most people encounter is distinctively Korean.

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Gim Vs. Nori: The Key Differences

Both gim and nori are laver. The difference is origin and, consequently, preparation. Korean gim is labeled gim; Japanese laver is labeled nori. If you’re shopping for seaweed and it’s from Korea, it’s gim. If it’s from Japan, it’s nori.

Beyond the label, there are real differences worth knowing if you’re cooking:

• Korean gim is typically thinner and glossier than Japanese nori.
• Korean gim for eating plain or wrapping rice is also usually pre-seasoned with sesame oil and salt; Japanese nori tends to be unseasoned.
• The thickness matters particularly for gimbap. If you substitute Japanese nori for Korean gimbap gim, the texture of the roll will be noticeably different. For authentic results, use the right one.

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Is Laver Healthy?

There is a reason that pregnant women and postpartum women are fed seaweed soup after giving birth in Korea and it has everything to do with the health benefits of eating seaweed. Laver is the best dietary source of iodine, which helps thyroid glands,and is high in iron and protein. It contains vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and vitamin D and is high in antioxidants that help to protect cells from damage.

Laver also contains a person’s daily amount of 22% potassium. Seaweed has 67 times more vitamin A than eggs and 1.5 times more vitamin C than oranges. Laver is one of the most nutritious seaweeds. Important to note though is that it should be eaten in moderation as everything should be due to its high levels of sodium and iodine.

Just a note about that seaweed soup that women eat in Korea after giving birth, and actually Koreans eat this on every birthday there after as well, it does NOT have laver but uses miyeok, a kind of sea mustard seaweed. As someone who came here without having much experience in seaweed, I definitely didn’t realize there was a difference when I tried to make my first seaweed soup so make sure you know the difference and use the right kind of seaweed depending on what you’re trying to make/eat.

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How Laver Is Produced in Korea

Around 19,500 tonnes of gim are produced in Korea annually. Naturally grown gim is actually insufficient to meet the market demand, so a lot of gim is produced and cultivated for commercial markets. Gim cultivation is the oldest aquaculture in Korea and the earliest mention of it is recorded in the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms (1280s). At that time it wasn’t necessarily cultivated, but was being used in dowries and was conjectured to be harvested from rocks and driftwood at the time.

Skip ahead to the 1600s and some oral stories that have been passed down say that the first person to cultivate gim was named Gim Yeoik. Yeoik lived on Taein Island in Jeollanam-do. Production of gim in Jeolla is reported in books from the 15th and 16th centuries and was mentioned as a regional delicacy. Thus, we headed to Jeolla to learn more about gim production and were lucky to be shown around the Dae Chun Gim factory to learn more.

Dae Chun Gim has been producing their laver products for more than 40 years. They not only seek to provide consumers with high quality products but they also work with local fishermen so that there is mutual benefit with production. Seeding begins in the autumn between September and October and then multiple harvests are possible during the winter season. The algae is known to grow well when sea waters are between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius.

Dae Chun Gim harvests their seaweed directly from the clean waters on the west coast of South Korea and then presses and packages their products in Boryeong in Chungcheongnam-do. Laver that has been grown for 50 days is considered the best for consumption. The whole process starts with harvesting the seaweed in the ocean which can only be done between the months of December and April because after that the waters are too warm and the seaweed isn’t good. Laver harvested from late December to mid-April is considered the peak in taste and nutrition.

Next, the seaweed is purified and ground down and then put through a drying process. Once the laver is dry it goes through a seaweed analysis to ensure it is the high quality seaweed Dae Chun Gim is known for and then it is fed into the sorting machine to then be grilled, seasoned with oil, then salt, grilled once more, counted and packaged.

The whole process is really interesting to see and even more interesting when learning about the small details. I never knew laver could only be harvested in the cooler months between December and April. You can stop by their factory to get products at the shop if you’re in the area, and then visit more awesome places in the Seocheon-gun area nearby to continue your fishy adventure.

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The Four Main Types Of Korean Gim

There are more than 200 different kinds of laver in Korea, however, they fall under four main types that are more readily available. Once you’ve eaten them all, you’ll be able to easily tell the difference.

• Dol Gim: Has a rough texture with small holes, known for being fragrant and flavorful. Often considered the premium option.
• Jaerae Gim (also called Chosun Gim): The most commonly seen type in Korea. Roasted with sesame oil and salt. This is the version most people mean when they say they’re eating gim as a side dish or snack.
• Gim for Gimbap: Specifically for making gimbap (Korean seaweed rice rolls). Thicker and tougher than the eating varieties, with smaller holes to hold the roll together. Do not use the oiled and salted Jaerae Gim for gimbap, the seasoning is wrong and the texture won’t hold.
• Parae Gim: A mixture of standard laver and parae (green algae), then dried. Cheaper than Dol Gim and Jaerae Gim. Often found dipped in soy sauce when served in restaurants.

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How To Store Laver

Gim doesn’t need to be eaten all at once and can be stored for a reasonable period if handled correctly. The main enemy is air and moisture. Once exposed, it loses its crispness quickly and eventually develops an off, cardboard-like taste that makes it obvious it’s past its prime.

Take out only what you’ll eat in one sitting. Keep the rest in a sealed, resealable container in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. For longer storage, the freezer works well.

Most Korean brands sell gim in “dosirak” sizes, small packets of 12 rectangular pieces each, which is the right amount for one to two people per meal. This format is more practical than large sheets if you’re using gim as a garnish or side dish rather than for gimbap. If you buy larger sheets, cut them to size and store in a resealable container, using within a couple of weeks.

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Where To Buy Laver In Korea & Abroad

Laver actually makes a great gift when you’re traveling to meet Korean friends or family here in Korea. While toilet paper is the go-to gift option for housewarming parties in Korea, laver is a great option for holidays when you should take something but don’t know what. Laver is also a great gift to take home from Korea when you’re done traveling as well. It’s unique, it’s edible, which I always think makes a great gift option so people can actually use it for something, consumption.

IN KOREA: Gim is available at every major supermarket chain including E-Mart, Homeplus, and Lotte Mart, as well as traditional markets and fish markets including Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul. For more on Korean supermarkets, read the complete guide to grocery stores in Korea.

If you’re near Yongsan Station, the K·FISH Promotional Hall on the fourth floor carries gim and other high-quality Korean seafood products operated by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

OUTSIDE OF KOREA: If you’re outside of Korea, you can find laver products online easily. Dae Chun Gim, mentioned above, sells on Amazon.com as do other locally sourced laver manufacturers and has no middle man so it’s direct from them to the consumer which means prices don’t go up and you can get the high quality products from Korea to your doorstep wherever you are.

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Gim is one of those foods that seems simple, a thin sheet of dried seaweed, until you understand the cultivation window, the production process, the variety of types, and the specific uses for each. Once it’s part of your regular eating, it becomes one of those things you look for at every meal and miss when you leave Korea.

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