"Jinju Dream Chamhaetsal Yeongho Jinmi," named the top rice brand in South Gyeongsang Province's excellent brand rice evaluation [South Gyeongsang Province]
"Jinju Dream Chamhaetsal Yeongho Jinmi," named the top rice brand in South Gyeongsang Province's excellent brand rice evaluation [South Gyeongsang Province]

"Jinju Dream Chamhaetsal Yeongho Jinmi," produced by the Jinju City Agricultural Cooperative Rice Joint Business Corporation, has been named the best-quality rice representing South Gyeongsang Province this year.

South Gyeongsang Province announced Monday that it had selected five brands in the 2026 South Gyeongsang Excellent Brand Rice Evaluation. Jinju Dream Chamhaetsal Yeongho Jinmi took the grand prize, while "Bap Mat-i Geochang Hamnida," produced by the Geochang-gun Agricultural Cooperative Rice Joint Business Corporation, received the excellence award.

Three brands received merit awards: "Saengmyeong Hwangyeong Ssal" from Saegoseong Agricultural Cooperative, "Sogaya Okcheon Ssal" from the Goseong-Geoje-Tongyeong Agricultural Cooperative Rice Joint Business Corporation, and "Gaya Deul" from the Gimhae City Agricultural Cooperative Joint Business Corporation.

The grand prize winner, Jinju Dream Chamhaetsal, claimed the top award in 2023, finished runner-up in 2024, and has now reclaimed the grand prize this year. Consistent top-tier finishes across the three most recent evaluations have cemented its reputation for quality.

The five selected brands will receive a certificate of recognition from the South Gyeongsang governor and may display their selection on product packaging. The province will also support promotional activities through Hanaro Mart and the province's official online shopping mall, "e-Gyeongnam Mall."

The evaluation covered 11 single-variety rice brands from eight cities and counties recommended by their local governments, running from April through June. It was the first such evaluation in two years, as last year's was not held.

To strengthen objectivity and fairness, the province purchased products directly from retail channels and commissioned independent specialist institutions to conduct the assessments, focusing on verifying the quality of products as consumers actually buy them.

The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service's South Gyeongsang branch assessed visual quality, including the proportion of whole grains and the presence of foreign matter. A designated variety-certification body examined variety-mixing rates, while the Korea Food Research Institute evaluated protein content and conducted sensory taste assessments by a panel of experts.

On-site evaluations of brand management practices — including contract farming, sales earnings and packaging labeling — were also factored into the final scores. South Gyeongsang Province plans to invest a total of 134 million won this year to develop its excellent brand rice sector, including 20 million won ($13,300) from the provincial budget, with project funding allocated on a tiered basis according to evaluation ratings.

Ryu Hae-seok, director general of the province's agricultural policy bureau, said the province would "expand support for modernizing processing facilities and rice drying and storage infrastructure, and boost the competitiveness of South Gyeongsang rice through fair evaluation and promotional efforts."


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