The lineup reads like a tour of Gangwon Province's finest: "Mowol," a locally brewed liquor that won the Presidential Award; Samcheok honey bees; Osaek traditional fermented paste made in the Baekdudaegan hot-spring belt; Chuncheon perilla oil; Gangwon flower tea; Donghae flatfish sikhye; Gangneung fatsia shoot pickles; Cheorwon Odae rice pudding; Chuncheon seasoned dakgalbi exported to Vietnam and beyond; and a mung bean and soybean curd pancake served in school cafeterias.
More than 400 producers of Gangwon Province's leading agri-food products gathered Tuesday afternoon at the Gangwon Creative Development Center in Chuncheon.
The event was the 2026 Clean Gangwon Representative Agri-Food Fair, organized by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Gangwon Rural Convergence Industry Support Center.
Now in its fourth year, the fair expanded significantly in both scale and ambition — moving beyond its original focus on certified rural convergence industry products to offer a comprehensive showcase of signature agri-food items from all 18 cities and counties in the province.
Last year's fair generated 35 billion won ($25.5 million) in public food-service supply contracts, demonstrating the potential for large-scale market expansion for Gangwon agri-food products.
This year's event drew about 700 attendees, including school nutrition teachers and military food-service officers from across the province, as well as officials from all 18 cities and counties, who sampled and evaluated the products firsthand in search of new supply opportunities.
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province said it would use the fair as a springboard to strengthen market development and tailored marketing support, helping Gangwon agri-food products gain a stable foothold in both domestic and international markets.
The province plans to continuously identify standout products from each city and county and connect them with diverse retail channels, with the goal of building Gangwon agri-food into a nationally recognized, top-tier brand.
Governor Woo Sang-ho, who attended the fair, said the combined sales of the province's 343 certified rural convergence industry operators had surpassed 600 billion won, crediting the achievement to the steady support of school nutrition teachers and military food-service officials. "Going forward, I will actively support the signature products of all 18 cities and counties so they can grow into top-tier brands recognized not only in large-scale supply markets but also by everyday consumers," he said.
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