Korea opens first industrial insect protein complex

A smart factory farm Gangwon Province built for mass mealworm production Courtesy of Seok Young-seek the centers director — A smart factory farm Gangwon Province built for mass mealworm production/ Courtesy of Seok Young-seek, the center's director

SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - South Korea opened its first industrial-scale insect complex in Chuncheon, a 20 billion won ($14.85 million) facility built to produce up to 1,000 tons of mealworms a year for food and pharmaceutical buyers.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Tuesday the site in Gangwon Province covers 23,815 square meters and is anchored by a smart factory farm where artificial intelligence and robots watch the larvae and adjust temperature, humidity and feed.

Around it stands 33 rental greenhouses that will draw breeding stock from participating farmers, including young growers, and every stage of rearing and processing carries HACCP hygiene certification, a first for insect production in the country.

"We want zero waste," said Seok Young-seek, the center's director, in an interview with AJP when the complex broke ground.

"Insects aren't just food. Their chitin shells can be used in bioplastics and sensors."

Gangwon Province and Chuncheon signed a cooperation agreement at the ceremony with Hanmi Nutrition, a health supplement maker, and insect food company OMO.

Both companies plan to develop medical foods and protein ingredients from the site's output.

Cabbage and other produce discarded by nearby distribution centers will be fed to the insects, a recycling loop the ministry said should lower rearing costs and disposal bills while cutting carbon emissions.

Nationwide insect sales reached 52.8 billion won in 2024, up 11.6 percent from a year earlier. The number of registered insect businesses fell 2.1 percent to 2,949 during the same period, according to the ministry's latest industry survey.

AJP Takeaways

- South Korea's first insect industry hub opened in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on Sept. 8, 2026, built with 20 billion won ($14.9 million) split evenly between central and local government funding.

- The complex can produce up to 1,000 tons of mealworms annually using AI- and robot-controlled rearing, and is the first Korean insect facility to apply HACCP hygiene certification across the full production chain.

- South Korea's insect industry sold 52.8 billion won worth of product in 2024, an 11.6 percent rise from 2023, while registered producers fell to 2,949 from 3,031, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Kim Dong-young

Korea opens first industrial insect protein complex

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