Wando-gun Presents Plaque of Appreciation to NASA in the United States

Published 06 Nov.2023 17:37(KST)

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Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do presented a plaque of appreciation to representatives of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul on the 6th.

Wando-gun (Governor Shin Woo-cheol) stated that in April, NASA attracted attention by releasing satellite images and highlighting the excellence of seaweed farms, which became an opportunity to widely promote the value of seaweed produced in Wando.

In particular, Wando’s seaweed farms have optimal conditions for cultivating kelp, gim, and miyeok due to the warm temperatures and gentle tidal differences, and they also emphasized the eco-friendly farming methods and the benefits of seaweed.

(The second from the left) Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Governor, is presenting a plaque of appreciation to Meredith Mckay, Deputy Director of the U.S. Aerospace Agency, and taking a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Wando County]

Accordingly, the county presented a plaque of appreciation to NASA for its significant contribution to enhancing the image of Wando-produced seaweed.

Shin Woo-cheol, Governor of Wando-gun, expressed gratitude, saying, “It is very meaningful that NASA paid attention to Wando’s seaweed farming methods and the value of seaweed. This has become a good foundation for the development of our county’s seaweed industry, which is the largest seaweed hub in Korea.”

Meredith Mckay, Deputy Director of NASA, emphasized the value of seaweed, stating, “Wando-gun’s eco-friendly farming methods are attractive, and especially seaweed will be a key element in future food and bio-industries.”

Along with presenting the plaque of appreciation, the county proposed mutual joint efforts to certify seaweed as a carbon sink, as seaweed plays an important role as a carbon absorber in the era of carbon neutrality.

After the plaque presentation, a promotional video of Wando-gun was shown, highlighting eco-friendly seaweed farming methods, the marine healing industry which is a key project of the county, and the marine bio-industry specialized in seaweed.

Meanwhile, Wando-gun is the nation’s leading fisheries county, producing about 50% (approximately 870,000 tons) of the country’s seaweed. Over 90% of its seabed is formed of maekbansuk (a type of basalt) which has excellent purification functions and generates nutrient salts, resulting in superior taste and nutrition of seafood including seaweed.

In addition, to prove the excellence of its seaweed, Wando-gun was the first in the world and holds the most international eco-friendly seafood certifications (ASC).