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Mungyeong farmer grows premium apples with honey-sweet flavors
Farmer Sohn Seong-kook shows some of the Gamhong apples he has grown in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province. / Courtesy of Sohn Seong-kook
By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Sohn Seong-kook, a farmer committed to growing premium apples in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, calls himself a “happy farmer” who has drawn the attention of apple lovers.
Among others, the Gamhong apples he grows have gained popularity across the country for their distinguished taste and texture.
The Gamhong apple cultivar is a mid-late season apple that was introduced in 1992 in Korea. The cultivar is famous for its palatability, but is known to be very difficult to grow.
“I began growing apple trees in 2001, and cultivated my first Gamhong apples seven years ago,” Sohn said in an interview with The Korea Times, noting that the cultivar is very crisp and offers honey-sweet flavors even when it is eaten with the peel on.
The harvest season of Mungyeong's Gamhong apples lasts for only about 20 days in October, and numbers are very limited.
A 10-kilogram box of Gamhong apples costs about 100,000 won ($92), far more expensive than other general apples. But nobody has complained about this, and they all sell out every year.
“Despite the high prices, Gamhong apples are very popular for gifts,” Sohn said. “I have seen a consistent increase in the number of customers who trust the quality of Gamhong apples.”
His achievement is notable, given that he sells his apples directly to customers without distribution companies or websites.
Sohn said his father had grown apple trees too, but passed away 20 years ago after suffering financial difficulties. For Sohn, inheriting apple farming was one big adventure, he said, noting that he has since sought to make his apples “a work of art.”
The hard work of Sohn and the other farmers in Mungyeong led apple farms in the region to receive a presidential award, given to producers of the top fruits of the country, in 2010. At the time, Gamhong apples were purchased by the presidential office as well, Sohn said.
“What I dream of now is creating an open place in which people can experience apple farming in Mungyeong, which offers the best apples in Korea,” he said.