On Farmers' Day, Gov. Park Soo-hyun encourages youth in agriculture and reaffirms commitment to hosting the Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo
South Chungcheong Province Governor Park Soo-hyun visited young farmers Wednesday to mark the 31st Farmers' Day and pledged to make the 2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo a success.
Park visited a strawberry farm in Bujeok-myeon, Nonsan, that morning, meeting sibling farmers Kim Ji-un and Kim Ji-su, touring their operation and expressing gratitude for their work.
The farm is run by the Kim sisters, who established their agricultural base through the province's youth self-reliance smart farm support project. They grow Seolhyang and Geumshil strawberry varieties across 10 cultivation facilities, combining strawberry production with seedling cultivation.
The farm has drawn attention as a model of young farmers' creative ambition and stable settlement through smart farming, generating more than 300 million won ($221,000) in gross strawberry revenue and 100 million won in seedling income.
The sisters are also set to participate in the 2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo through promotional booths for the 4-H organization and the South Chungcheong Smart Farm Youth Association.
"The courageous challenges and passion of young farmers are the vitality and future of South Chungcheong agriculture," Park said. "I expect them to showcase the excellence of South Chungcheong strawberries to the world through their outstanding quality at the expo."
The 2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo will run for 24 days from Feb. 26 to March 21 next year at Nonsan Citizens' Family Park, under the theme "K-Berry! Smart Agriculture, Healthy Future."
The event aims to attract about 1.54 million domestic and international visitors and highlight the growth potential of the strawberry industry across production, processing, retail and exports.
South Chungcheong is the nation's second-largest strawberry-producing region, with 1,626 hectares under cultivation — 28.9 percent of the national total — and output of 48,000 tons, or 30.9 percent of national production. Nonsan leads all cities and counties nationwide, with 1,015 hectares of cultivation area and 29,000 tons of output.
"The province will serve as a firm pillar for young farmers — from startup support to agricultural settlement and follow-up care — so they can pursue their dreams without fear of failure," Park said. "We will strengthen the production base and quality of South Chungcheong strawberries, successfully host the 2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo, and raise the profile of South Chungcheong strawberries in both domestic and international markets."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
