100-year-old wild ginseng worth $74,500 found on Mount Jiri
Eleven wild cheonjong ginseng roots found on Mount Jiri / Courtesy of Korean Traditional Simmani Association
A cluster of 11 wild ginseng roots worth well over 100 million won ($74,500) has been discovered on the slopes of Mount Jiri, a find that would make any ginseng hunter cry out in joy.
According to the Korean Traditional Simmani Association, whose name refers to ginseng hunters, a herbalist in his 50s recently unearthed the roots at an elevation of about 800 meters near Odojae Pass in Hamyang County, South Gyeongsang Province. The association announced the discovery Monday.
The roots were identified as “cheonjong” wild ginseng, a term referring to ginseng that has grown naturally for at least 50 years with little human intervention.
The newly discovered cluster was identified as a family spanning five generations. The oldest “mother” root was estimated to be about 100 years old, while even the youngest offspring was believed to be at least 20 years old. Together, the 11 roots weighed 76 grams and were appraised at 120 million won.
"It is a precious finding, made under extremely difficult hiking conditions following more than three months of torrential rain and unusual heat this summer,” said Jeong Hyeong-beom, head of the association.
Last month, another family of nine cheonjong wild ginseng roots spanning at least four generations was discovered on Mount Baegun in Gwangyang, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City. The mother root was estimated to be about 80 years old, and the entire cluster was valued at 130 million won.
In January 2023, a rare wild ginseng root described as the world’s largest was also unearthed in the mountains of Suncheon, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City. Its age could not be determined, but it weighed a staggering 415 grams and was appraised at 680 million won.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.