Mokpo National University LINC+ Project Group Harvests 'Golden Eggs' at Sinan Coastal Sand Dunes and Mudflats

Student Startup Spotlight Using Saline Plants from Sinan Mudflats

‘Salt Flower Tea,’ branded with Hae-dae-hwa, a representative halophyte of Sinan-gun, and Boseong black tea (Photo by Mokpo National University)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] A student startup transforming the halophytes of the UNESCO biosphere reserve, Shinan mudflats, into a "goose that lays golden eggs" is attracting attention.

According to Mokpo National University LINC＋ Project Group on the 9th, the student startup club "Handa," preparing for entrepreneurship in the first half of this year, developed "Salt Flower Tea," branding Shinan-gun's representative halophytes such as Hae-danghwa (Rosa rugosa) and Boseong black tea, and is preparing various product developments.

The students plan to develop products applying "Hae-danghwa kimchi" and "Gardenia flower jeotgal (fermented seafood)," recorded in Jeongjoji (Dingzu Zhi), the food section of the 16 volumes of Imwon Gyeongjeji (Forest Garden Economic Records) written by Seo Yu-gu (1764?1845) during the Joseon Dynasty, along with halophyte teas.

Yoon Kyung-sook, president of the startup club and a master's student in the Department of International Tea Culture Science, said, "I started with the conviction that a protected environment can become money by participating in the development process of 'Baekryeon Black Tea,' branding the white lotus of Muan last year." She added, "In the future, we plan to develop various local specialties such as kimchi and jeotgal, as well as tea, using 65 species of halophytes native to the Dadohae (Korean: Dadohae) region."

Ko Kyung-nam, World Heritage Division Chief of Shinan-gun, said, "There have often been conflicts due to the clash between environmental conservation and residents' livelihood rights, but the students have created a good example of utilizing the preserved environment as a resource." He added, "We plan to mentor them to grow into a promising company leading a specialty industry using halophytes, not only commercializing Salt Flower Tea as a tourism product."

Professor Park Yong-seo, advisor and director of the Namdo Literary Renaissance RCC Center and Department of Horticultural Science, stated, "Shinan-gun's halophytes are a reserved resource with great potential for expansion into food (beverages), beauty, and bio-industries." He added, "We will spare no cooperation in recreating the preserved environment into a regionally specialized industry."

Meanwhile, the coastal dunes and mudflats of Shinan-gun are a natural marine wetland ecological treasure where 52 of the 65 species of domestic halophytes inhabit.

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