Lee Jeong-min of Kyungpook National University and Jung Hyo-ju of Honam Horticultural High School take top honors

About 90 quarantine officers, university students and high schoolers compete in plant pest identification

Growing importance of specialist workforce highlighted amid climate change and expanding trade

Participants pose for a group photo at the 2026 Plant Pest Identification and Classification Competition held Wednesday at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. About 90 quarantine officers, university and graduate students, and students from agriculture-focused specialized high schools took part in the event. [Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency]
Participants pose for a group photo at the 2026 Plant Pest Identification and Classification Competition held Wednesday at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. About 90 quarantine officers, university and graduate students, and students from agriculture-focused specialized high schools took part in the event. [Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency]

Plant quarantine specialists and aspiring future experts gathered to test their skills in identifying exotic pests that could enter the country through imported agricultural products.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency held the 2026 Plant Pest Identification and Classification Competition on Wednesday at its headquarters in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, the agency announced Thursday.

"Classification and identification" refers to the process of comparing and analyzing the morphological and genetic characteristics of pests to determine their exact species. It is a core function of plant quarantine — accurately identifying exotic pests mixed in with imported agricultural goods to prevent them from establishing themselves in the country.

The importance of trained specialists capable of precise pest identification has grown particularly as climate change and expanding international trade increase the risk of exotic plant pests entering the country.

The agency has held the competition annually since 2002 to sharpen the identification skills of plant quarantine officers. Starting in 2022, it broadened eligibility to include university and graduate students in agricultural life sciences and natural sciences to help identify future talent, and last year began welcoming students from agriculture-focused specialized high schools as well.

This year's competition focused on plant insect pests. About 90 participants competed across three divisions — quarantine officers, university students and high school students — testing their ability to search for and identify plant pests.

In the top-prize category, quarantine officer Lee Ryang-ha of the Incheon Airport regional headquarters won the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Award in the quarantine officer division, while Lee Jeong-min, a plant medicine student at Kyungpook National University, took the same award in the university division. Jung Hyo-ju of Honam Horticultural High School received the agency director's award in the high school division. A total of 10 outstanding participants across all divisions received certificates and prizes.

After the competition, participants took part in a plant health quiz program and a session where current quarantine officers shared their on-the-job experiences and insights. The events were designed to help students gain a firsthand understanding of plant quarantine work and explore related career paths.

"As the risk of exotic plant pests entering the country grows with climate change and expanding international trade, developing specialist plant quarantine personnel who can accurately identify them is becoming ever more critical," agency director Choe Jeong-rok said. "We hope the passion and expertise the participants demonstrated today will serve as a solid foundation for the future of our agriculture and plant quarantine."


adastra@heraldcorp.com