What Samjin Amook does

Samjin Amook (legal entity SAMJIN FOOD CO. LTD.) is Korea's oldest fishcake brand, founded in 1953 in Busan and operated continuously by the same family for over three generations. The company manufactures and sells a portfolio of 26 fishcake products across core categories (square, assorted, single-meal packs, skewers, and roll fishcakes) and a newer HMR line (croquettes and Grab-A-Bite crispy snacks), offered in both dry and frozen formats. Its production platform is built around two specialized Busan facilities — the Jangnim factory (60MT daily capacity) and the Amazing Factory subsidiary (20MT daily capacity) — with combined 80MT throughput. Core production technology centers on handmade fishcake techniques refined over 70 years, supported by FSSC, HACCP, and MSC certifications that enable international distribution.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining directly managed retail (22 stores in Korea), franchise retail (4 stores in Indonesia), B2B wholesale supply to over 200 domestic and overseas buyers, and e-commerce via Amazon US (entered 2021, ranked #1 in Fish Cake and Topokki categories). Products are exported to more than 15 countries spanning East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and North America. Reported revenue is USD 90 million (self-disclosed), with 260 employees, and the company pioneered the "Amook Bakery" concept in 2013 to reposition fishcake from inexpensive street food into a premium, gift-suitable retail product. Customer segments include Korean domestic consumers (primary), Korean diaspora internationally, and food service and retail buyers via the wholesale channel. Distribution pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Samjin Amook

Legal name

SAMJIN FOOD CO. LTD.

Website

https://samjinamook.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Samjin Amook (SAMJIN FOOD CO. LTD.) is Korea's oldest fishcake brand, founded in 1953 and based in Busan. It manufactures 26 fishcake SKUs across core and HMR lines, distributes through 22 Korean stores, 4 Indonesian franchise stores, B2B wholesale to 200+ buyers, and Amazon US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Korean Fishcake Manufacturing

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic/Regional Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (e.g., Asian, Latin, Mediterranean) (AFANAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Frozen Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAC), Specialty Snack Foods Manufacturing (Ethnic/Regional, Gourmet, Functional) (AFAKAIAO)

Keywords

• Korean fishcake manufacturing
• Seafood snack products
• Frozen processed seafood
• Home meal replacement
• Amook bakery retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Busan

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Direct Retail): Direct retail sales through 22 directly managed stores in Korea and 4 franchise stores in Indonesia
2. B2B Wholesale: Supply of fishcake products to over 200 domestic and overseas buyers including retail and food service
3. E-commerce: Online sales through Amazon marketplace, including dedicated Amazon storefront
4. Franchise Revenue: Franchise fees from 4 franchise stores operating under the Amook brand in Indonesia

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Samjin Amook manufactures and sells traditional handmade Korean fishcake (amook) products across square, pack, roll, skewer, croquette, and snack formats, marketed through directly operated retail stores in Korea, franchise stores in Indonesia, an Amazon storefront in the US, and B2B wholesale to 200+ domestic and overseas buyers. The product line spans fishcake snacks, side dishes, meal components, and gift items with diverse flavor profiles including seafood, cheese, shrimp, chili pepper, squid, corn, and ricecake-roll variants.

Product overview

Samjin Amook is Korea's oldest fishcake (amook) brand, operating since 1953 for over 3 generations. The company offers a diverse portfolio of fishcake products categorized into core products (Square Fishcake, Thick Square Fishcake, Assorted Fishcake, Traditional Assorted Fishcake, Single Meal Packs, Skewers Packs, and various Roll Fishcakes including Ricecake Roll, Chili Pepper Roll, Squid Ball, Seafood Square, Large Ricecake Roll, Shrimp Roll, Squid Pancake, Snack Cheese Roll, and Seafood Pancake variants) and HMR (Home Meal Replacement) products (Crispy Cream Cheese, Shrimp, and Chili Pepper Fishcake Croquettes, and Grab-A-Bite line including Fish Chips, Crispy Corn Ball, and Crispy Shrimp Ball). Products are available in both Dry and Frozen formats. The company pioneered the "Amook Bakery" concept in Korea in 2013, transforming fishcake from street food to retail and gift products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Square Fishcake Square fishcake perfect for snacks and side dishes with ease of eating, sold in pack format for Korean consumers and B2B buyers.
• Thick Square Fishcake Thick square fishcake made with high-quality meat offering a savory and chewy texture, usable in various dishes by Korean consumers and foodservice operators.
• Assorted Fishcake Multi-flavor fishcake pack evoking childhood memories, sold in a pack of 12 with chilled storage below 10 degrees Celsius, targeted at retail and gifting buyers.
• Traditional Assorted Fishcake Traditional assorted fishcake offered in an 802g pack for Korean retail and gifting consumers.
• Single Meal Pack Mild Original clean-taste fishcake single meal pack with 7 types of premium fishcake, healthy-fried using soybean oil, for individual Korean consumers seeking convenient single-serve meals.
• Single Meal Pack Spicy Spicy single meal pack fishcake offering savory flavor for individual Korean consumers preferring spiced variants.
• Skewers Fishcake Pack Skewered fishcake pack sold in a box of 5 pieces, designed for snack and meal use by Korean consumers.
• Single Meal Skewers Pack Single meal skewered fishcake pack with 10 skewers, offering chewy premium fishcake with high fish meat content for individual consumers.
• Ricecake Roll Fishcake Ricecake wrapped inside fishcake, sold in a 6-piece package, popular for snacks and soups among Korean consumers.
• Chili Pepper Roll Fishcake Premium spicy fishcake with chili pepper inside, sold in an 8-piece package and popular for snacks and gifts.
• Squid Ball Fishcake Premium seafood fishcake containing squid and shrimp, popular for snacks and gifts due to its savory taste.
• Seafood Square Fishcake High-protein seafood square fishcake containing squid and shrimp with more than 11g of protein per serving, targeting health-conscious snack and meal consumers.
• Large Ricecake Roll Fishcake Fishcake containing a whole ricecake bar inside, designed for easy eating at home, work, or travel, and usable in dishes like tteokbokki, fishcake soup, and seasoned skewers.
• Shrimp Roll Fishcake Fishcake containing a whole shrimp inside, sold in a 30-piece box, marketed to consumers seeking premium seafood snacks.
• Crispy Cream Cheese Fishcake Croquettes Compact cream cheese croquette with crispy breadcrumb texture when air-fried, filled with cream, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese, in the home meal replacement (HMR) category.
• Crispy Shrimp Fishcake Croquettes Shrimp croquette combining soft fishcake meat with chewy shrimp, marketed as an HMR product for convenient home cooking.
• Crispy Chili Pepper Fishcake Croquettes Chili pepper croquette with spicy flavor profile, sold as an HMR product replicating the Samjin main store flavor.
• Grab-A-Bite Fish Chips High-protein fishcake snack designed to pair with beer, fried in corn oil for crispy texture and containing 10.2g of protein, in the HMR Grab-A-Bite line.
• Spicy Chili Pepper Roll Fishcake Spicy variant of the chili pepper roll fishcake, sold as a small/roll format snack and gift item.
• Squid Pancake Fishcake Fishcake with savory taste and high squid content, offering chewy texture with high soft meat content and more than 12g of protein per serving.
• Snack Cheese Roll Fishcake Cheese-flavored roll fishcake snack sold in a 200g pack for Korean snack consumers.
• Seafood Pancake Fishcake Soft and chewy snack fishcake with savory seafood taste including squid and shrimp, healthy-fried using soybean oil.
• Extra-Large Assorted Fishcake Nostalgic market-style fried assorted fishcake sold in a pack of 16 with refrigerator storage, fried using soybean oil.
• Grab-A-Bite Crispy Corn Ball Nutritious corn fishcake snack with 11g of protein content, crispy outside with bread crumbs and soft inside, part of the HMR Grab-A-Bite line.
• Grab-A-Bite Crispy Shrimp Ball High-protein fishcake snack for one bite with 13g of protein content, crispy outside with bread crumbs and soft inside with fishcake, prepared via air fryer, part of the HMR Grab-A-Bite line.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sales increased 30x compared to 2013, reaching USD 90 million
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2021Entered US market through Amazon in 2021; products achieved #1 ranking in Fish Cake and Topokki categories on Amazon US
• Amazing Factory Co., Ltd.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSubsidiary exporter producing products for overseas export markets under the Samjin Amook brand

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ottogi: Ottogi is one of Korea's largest food manufacturers with a broad portfolio including noodles, sauces, and prepared foods. While not fishcake-focused, it competes for shelf space in Korean grocery and offers comparable snack and convenience meal SKUs.
• Lotte Food: Lotte Food is a diversified Korean food manufacturer producing snacks, confectionery, and prepared foods. Competes broadly for retail shelf space and consumer snack occasions alongside Samjin Amook's HMR and Grab-A-Bite snack lines.
• Nongshim: Nongshim is Korea's dominant instant noodle and snack manufacturer with strong US distribution via Shin Ramyun. Comparable as a Korean food brand expanding in US retail and a potential channel competitor for Korean snack shelf space and consumer mindshare.
• Sempio Foods: Sempio is a Korean food company producing sauces, fermented foods, and prepared seafood products. Comparable as a Korean branded food manufacturer with similar export-oriented strategy and overlapping retail and foodservice channels.
• CJ CheilJedang: CJ CheilJedang is a Korean food conglomerate producing bibigo-branded Korean meals, frozen foods, and ingredients globally. Operates at massive scale with international distribution and could enter or expand within the Korean fishcake category, posing a broad incumbent competitive threat.
• Thai Union Group: Thai Union is a global seafood giant (Chicken of the Sea, King Oscar) producing shelf-stable and frozen seafood products across categories. Comparable manufacturing scale, certifications, and international distribution depth for seafood products.
• Pulmuone: Pulmuone is a leading Korean food company specializing in tofu, noodles, frozen dumplings, and healthy prepared foods. Overlaps with Samjin Amook in frozen Korean foods, HMR category, and premium positioning targeting health-conscious consumers.

Direct peers

• Dongwon F&B: Dongwon F&B is a major Korean seafood and food company with a broad portfolio including canned tuna, crab, and prepared seafood products. It is one of the closest direct competitors to Samjin Amook in the Korean prepared seafood category and overlaps significantly in retail distribution and consumer base.
• Hansung Food: Hansung Food is a Korean specialty manufacturer of fishcake (eomuk/amook) products directly competing with Samjin Amook in domestic Korea retail and foodservice channels. Comparable product portfolio, target customer, and traditional handmade production heritage.

Regional players

• Maruha Nichiro: Maruha Nichiro is Japan's largest seafood company producing prepared and packaged seafood products for the Japanese and Asian markets. Comparable as an East Asian seafood manufacturer with overlapping prepared-fish product formats and retail channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samjin-amook

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Samjin Amook