Gwangju Nam-gu Launches Full-Scale Research and Development of Inter-Korean Exchange 'Unification Kimchi'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Nam-gu, Gwangju (Mayor Kim Byeong-nae) is partnering with the national research institute, the World Kimchi Research Institute, to embark on research and development of Unification Kimchi to revitalize inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects.

According to Nam-gu on the 24th, at 10 a.m. that day, a signing ceremony for the promotion of research and development of Unification Kimchi and cultural exchange projects was held in the situation room on the 7th floor of the district office, attended by Mayor Kim Byeong-nae and Director Jang Hae-chun of the World Kimchi Research Institute.

Following the signing of the agreement, it is expected that plans for joint registration of the kimchi-making culture, which both South and North Korea have each registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be actively pursued alongside the research and development of Unification Kimchi.

The two organizations plan to first hold an academic symposium with experts in the first half of next year to advance the research and development of Unification Kimchi.

Additionally, to address the instability in the supply of summer cabbage, starting in 2023, they are considering conducting cultivation area surveys to procure highland cabbage from the North. The survey areas are expected to include North Korea’s Yanggang Province and the highland regions of Hamgyong Province, where the Kaema Plateau is located.

Furthermore, Nam-gu and the World Kimchi Research Institute plan to promote the development of Unification Kimchi recipes and the establishment of Unification Kimchi factories in places such as Kaesong and Mount Kumgang at the start of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation.

They also agreed to collaborate on the joint registration of the ‘Kimjang Culture’ as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. South and North Korea registered it in 2013 and 2015, respectively.

Accordingly, the two organizations plan to conduct preliminary investigations for joint registration starting in 2023, and from 2024, after consultations with UNESCO and the Cultural Heritage Administration, they aim to pursue joint registration by 2025.

Mayor Kim Byeong-nae said, “I am very pleased to jointly promote inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects with the World Kimchi Research Institute, especially as kimchi is gaining great popularity and attention worldwide,” adding, “We want to dominate the global kimchi market with Unification Kimchi made using technologies and ingredients from both South and North Korea.”

Director Jang Hae-chun of the World Kimchi Research Institute said, “North Korea regards kimchi as ‘half-year food,’ emphasizing the importance of kimjang,” and added, “If our institute’s practical kimchi industry technologies combine with North Korea’s abundant raw materials, we can establish a foundation for cultural unification through kimchi, as well as reinforce ethnic homogeneity.”

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