Luxury Gwangyang Maesil, First Shipment

by Heo Seonsik

Published 23 May.2023 14:21(KST)

Updated 15 Aug.2025 15:17(KST)

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Support for Production Cost Reduction Including Suspension of Gawon and Jeonjeong

Actively Securing Sales Channels Such as Home Shopping Sales

On the 23rd (Tuesday), Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do held the first shipment ceremony at the Daap Maesil Sorting Center of the Gwangyang Horticultural Agricultural Cooperative (44, Tokkijae 1-gil, Daap-myeon) to officially announce the start of shipments for the Gwangyang Maesil market.

At the event, Jeong In-hwa, Mayor of Gwangyang, Seo Young-bae, Chairman of the Gwangyang City Council, city council members, the Deputy Head of the Jeonnam Regional Headquarters of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, the Head of the Gwangyang Branch of the Agricultural Cooperative, and heads of local agricultural cooperatives attended, toured the maesil sorting operations, and encouraged the officials and shipping farmers.

[Photo by Gwangyang City]

This year, the production volume of Gwangyang Maesil is expected to be around 5,000 tons, which is more than 30% less than last year, due to complex factors such as abnormal temperatures during the flowering period and poor pollination caused by decreased bee activity.

Gwangyang Maesil is characterized by a higher citric acid content, stronger aroma, and more vivid color compared to maesil from other regions. It is registered under the Geographical Indication System (No. 36) and designated as a maesil industrial special zone. Since 2015, it has won the Grand Prize for Consumer Trust Brand in Korea for eight consecutive years, awarded by the Korea Brand Management Association, thus recognized as Korea’s top premium maesil for its trust and value.

The city is promoting various customized policy projects to further enhance the competitiveness of Gwangyang Maesil and maintain its reputation as a premium maesil, including support for manpower in maesil orchard pruning, provision of power pruning shears, and support for direct transaction packaging materials.

Additionally, to expand consumption of Gwangyang Maesil, the city is actively carrying out various promotional activities such as supporting home shopping sales, distributing maesil seed separators for pickled maesil processing, and consumer publicity.

Jeong In-hwa, Mayor of Gwangyang, said, “We will actively promote policies such as improving the product quality of Gwangyang Maesil, reducing labor, and various promotional and marketing activities to maintain the reputation of premium Gwangyang Maesil and strive to increase stable income for maesil farmers.”