On June 2, 2026, Korean media Korea Economic Daily reported that "Japanese people who visited Korea for tourism, mainly among housewives, are captivated by the flavor of traditional Korean sesame oil." It is said that unique tours to visit markets and purchase freshly pressed sesame oil at traditional specialty stores are gaining popularity.

Behind this popularity is the presence of Japanese media and influencers. The article introduces instances such as: "Yutaka Matsushige, who played the protagonist Goro Inogashira in 'Kodoku no Gurume' (Solitary Gourmet), praised Korean sesame oil"; "A video of Rino Sashihara putting freshly pressed Korean sesame oil on instant ramen, eating it, and raving about its deliciousness recorded an explosive number of views"; and "Haruna Kojima visiting a Korean market and introducing the sesame oil pressing process in a video ignited a trend." It also reported that photos and reviews of sesame oil purchased in Korea are being successively posted on Japanese social media.

Japanese consumers say that the biggest difference between Japanese and Korean sesame oil is its freshness and overwhelming aroma. Most Japanese sesame oil is factory-produced and has a subtle aroma, but in Korea, one can purchase sesame oil that is pressed after an order is placed.

This popularity is directly reflected in export performance. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, the export value of sesame oil from January to April this year grew rapidly, increasing by 37.0% year-on-year to $6.14 million (approx. 980 million yen), and export volume also surged by 47.6% to 657 tons. Both figures updated their all-time highs for the same period. Export value also recorded double-digit growth in 2024, and the article emphasized that "the rise of Korean sesame oil is not a temporary boom."

Looking at exports by country/region, exports to the United States account for 41.7% of the total. This is followed by Canada (9.6%), Taiwan (7.6%), Australia (7.4%), and the Netherlands (5.3%). It is clear that the market is expanding beyond Asia to North America, Europe, and Oceania. The Korea Customs Service cited "increasing global demand for healthy food and the popularity of K-food" as the main reasons for the surge in exports.

In response to this article, Korean netizens posted comments such as: "Japanese sesame oil is used for cooking as an edible oil. Korean sesame oil is more like a flavoring oil. Their uses are different"; "I hear that local sesame oil shops roast sesame seeds until they almost burn to create a savory aroma, which can produce carcinogens"; "The reason why commercially available sesame oil from major manufacturers has a weak aroma is because they don't over-roast the sesame seeds"; "The sesame seeds used by market sesame oil shops are from China"; "We can't just be happy about increased imports. Domestic consumption will decrease, and prices will rise"; and "Just over a decade ago, people were asking 'Do you know kimchi?', but times have changed."