Chuncheon County in Gangwon Province is set to exchange Odae rice and citrus fruits with its sister city, Seogwipo, in Jeju Province, in celebration of Chuseok.
According to Chuncheon County on September 8, the exchange will begin with a large-scale shipment on September 15 and continue until September 21. Chuncheon will sell Odae rice, while Seogwipo will offer citrus fruits, strengthening the bond between the sister cities.
The two regions have maintained an annual exchange of agricultural products centered around the Lunar New Year and Chuseok since establishing their sister city relationship in 1995. The cumulative total of exchanges has reached 67, valued at approximately 4 billion won.
Sales figures indicate that Odae rice from Chuncheon and citrus from Seogwipo each account for about 2 billion won. The total volume exchanged amounts to 1,338 tons, including 698 tons of Odae rice and 640 tons of citrus.
This initiative serves not only as a simple exchange of local specialties but also as a regular channel to continuously promote products to consumers in the partner region. It also highlights the collaboration in supporting local farmers' incomes by utilizing the distinct agricultural production bases of each area.
Chuncheon County has been expanding its exchanges with other sister cities through agricultural products. It has held direct trading events with Gangnam District in Seoul during holidays and has engaged in the exchange of highland potatoes with Jeongseon County. Additionally, it has initiated a specialty exchange of Odae rice and seasoned seaweed with Sinan County in Jeollanam-do, which became a sister city in 2021.
The head of the Chuncheon Agricultural Technology Center stated, “We hope this exchange will further strengthen the ties between sister cities and serve as an opportunity to showcase the excellence of Odae rice. We also expect it to help expand the market for agricultural products.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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