Gangwon Governor Woo Sangho: "Make One Extra Head of Kimchi and Share with Neighbors"

Visits Pyeongchang Highland Kimchi Festival, makes kimjang with children and tourists
Calls for boosting consumption and supporting farmers amid concerns over falling cabbage prices

Gangwon State Governor Woo Sangho visited the Pyeongchang Highland Kimchi Festival on November 10 and said, "I hope this will be a warm kimjang season in which people make one extra head of kimchi and share it with neighbors in need." With cabbage production rising and demand for kimjang declining, raising concerns about falling prices, the aim is to support farmers by encouraging kimchi consumption and sharing.

Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho makes kimchi at the 9th Pyeongchang Highland Kimchi Festival, held at Jinbu-myeon Residents' Sports Park in Pyeongchang County on the 10th. Photo courtesy of Gangwon Province.

Governor Woo visited the site of the 9th Pyeongchang Highland Kimchi Festival, being held at Jinbu-myeon Sports Park in Pyeongchang County, and made kimchi with about 10 first-grade students from Jinbu Elementary School. As they mixed seasoning into the cabbage with the children, he shared the significance of Korea's traditional kimjang culture.

He then visited the kimchi-making experience area for tourists with actor Kim Cheong, the festival's promotional ambassador, and made kimchi with them. He also listened to their views on the taste and quality of Pyeongchang's highland cabbage. He toured areas for promoting and selling local specialty products and heard on-site opinions on boosting agricultural product consumption and revitalizing the festival.

According to Gangwon Province, this year's autumn cabbage production is projected to increase by 18.5% from last year, while demand for kimjang cabbage is expected to fall by 9.1%. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is also running a campaign titled "Kimjang That Adds and Shares: The Happiness of One Extra Head" to encourage kimchi consumption and sharing.

Through the festival, the province plans to encourage the spread of a culture of making one extra head of kimchi and sharing it with neighbors, and to support increased consumption of local agricultural products.

The Pyeongchang Highland Kimchi Festival, which opened on November 4, runs through November 16. Kimchi-making experiences cost 69,000 won for 10 kg of regular kimchi and 79,000 won for 10 kg of premium kimchi. The festival uses local agricultural products, including 216 tons of salted cabbage from 18 farms and about 15 tons of dried red peppers from 74 farms.

Governor Woo Sangho said, "Cabbage crops have done well this year, but farmers are deeply concerned about falling prices. The small act of making one extra head of kimchi can support farmers and bring warmth to neighbors in need."

He added, "We will actively support regional festivals that boost consumption of Gangwon agricultural products and foster growth in both agriculture and tourism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.