Chilgok-gun County Chief Kim Jae-wook and staff from the county's agricultural technology center hold up vegan leather products made from oriental melon byproducts — a first in South Korea. [Chilgok-gun]
Chilgok-gun County Chief Kim Jae-wook and staff from the county's agricultural technology center hold up vegan leather products made from oriental melon byproducts — a first in South Korea. [Chilgok-gun]

Chilgok-gun in North Gyeongsang Province has successfully developed and commercialized South Korea's first plant-based vegan leather made from oriental melon byproducts, the county announced Sunday.

Melons once destined for disposal have found new life as material for wallets and bags.

The idea took root during the 2024 rainy season, when the county's agricultural technology center began looking for new uses for surplus oriental melons. Each rainy season, some melons washed into the Nakdong River, drawing environmental criticism, while others purchased to stabilize prices were simply discarded.

The center concluded that melons grown with care by local farmers could serve as an industrial material rather than go to waste. After dozens of rounds of trial and error, it succeeded in developing a melon-based leather fabric.

In October 2024, the center launched a joint research project with a company specializing in eco-friendly plant-based materials, and by December of that year it had produced the melon leather fabric.

The county then partnered with eco-friendly fashion brand Harley K Co. to produce the first prototypes — including bags, card wallets, business card holders and pen cases — accelerating the path to commercialization.

In January, the products received vegan certification from South Korea's Vegan Standard Certification Institute. The melon content in the material has risen from an initial 4 percent to 7 percent and now stands at 10 percent.

Growing consumer interest in eco-friendly and animal welfare-conscious purchasing has fueled demand for plant-based vegan products, and melon leather is drawing attention as a new sustainable material riding that trend.

The buzz has extended online, with social media posts introducing the melon leather products racking up 1 million views and generating strong consumer interest.

A local craft studio, Chamyedam, produces melon leather goods and sells them at the Buksam Nonghyup Hanaro Mart.

Collaborative products are available through a crowdfunding campaign on Tumblbug through Wednesday.

"This is a case that shows even low-grade agricultural produce can become a new industry when combined with ideas and technology," county chief Kim Jae-wook said. "We will continue to support research and development to increase the value of agricultural byproducts and connect them to farm income and local industry."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com