Boseong County and Bohae Brewery Sign MOU for Mutual Growth and Cooperation

A Win-Win Model for Joint Growth of Agriculture and Industry

On October 15, Boseong County in South Jeolla Province signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the county governor's office for the development of the Boseong tea industry and mutual cooperation. The signing ceremony was attended by Kim Cheolwoo, Governor of Boseong County, and Cho Youngseok, CEO of Bohae Brewery Co., Ltd.

In addition to Governor Kim Cheolwoo and CEO Cho Youngseok, the event was attended by Seo Sanggyun, head of the Boseong Tea Producers Cooperative, Lim Jaewoong, head of the research institute, Choi Kyungseon, branch manager, and other related officials, reaffirming their commitment to practical cooperation.

Boseong County and Bohae Brewery Co., Ltd. signed a business agreement on the 15th to promote the development of the Boseong tea industry and mutual cooperation. Photo by Boseong County

This agreement aims to establish a new model of regional mutual growth by combining the excellent raw materials of "Boseong, the capital of green tea in Korea," with Bohae Brewery's fermentation and liquor processing technology and branding expertise, thereby promoting the joint advancement of agriculture and industry.

The main points of the agreement include the development of "Ipsaeju" products utilizing Boseong green tea, securing stable raw material sales channels for local tea-producing farms, official approval for the use of the "Green Tea Capital Boseong" trademark on labels and promotional materials, and joint marketing and expansion of domestic and overseas sales channels.

Through this agreement, Bohae Brewery's flagship product "Ipsaeju" is expected to be reborn as the first green concept brand among domestic diluted soju products, utilizing Boseong green tea. Boseong County plans to increase the supply of green tea raw materials from local farms, add high value to the tea industry, and establish a bridgehead for the sixth industrialization of the sector.

CEO Cho Youngseok stated, "By combining Boseong's outstanding raw materials with our company's manufacturing and branding capabilities, we will introduce products that meet market preferences and achieve sustainable growth together with the region."

Governor Kim Cheolwoo commented, "Today's agreement marks the starting point for mutual growth between Boseong tea farms and businesses. It will provide stable sales channels for farmers and opportunities for innovative new products for companies. We will make efforts to expand Boseong tea beyond beverages into various industries such as food, biotechnology, and cosmetics."

Meanwhile, Boseong County is the largest green tea-producing region in Korea, accounting for 35% of the nation's tea cultivation area, with 778 hectares under cultivation, 579 tea farming households, and an annual production of 4,975 tons of fresh leaves and 995 tons of dried leaves.

"Boseong Green Tea" was designated as the first geographically indicated specialty product by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service in 2002, has maintained international organic certifications (USDA, EU, JAS) for 15 consecutive years, and was designated as the 11th Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage in 2018.

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