When winter turns sweet: Everything you need to know about Korean strawberries

BLACKPINK's Jennie / Captured from Jennie's social media

Each winter, Korea turns pink. Strawberry cakes fill coffee shop displays, limited-edition desserts sell out within hours and social media feeds overflow with glossy red berries. Behind the seasonal craze lies a carefully cultivated industry that has turned Korean strawberries into a global benchmark for sweetness and quality.

Korean strawberries are thought by some to be among the sweetest and most flavorful in the world, with farmers utilizing advanced agricultural technology. But what makes Korean strawberries so addictive?

Part of the answer lies in Korea’s cultivation methods, but their popularity is also driven by an established seasonal food culture. Each winter, strawberries take center stage across the country, inspiring a wave of limited-edition desserts and specialty menus.

“Lovely Strawberry” line of desserts / Courtesy of Grand Walkerhill Hotel Seoul

Strawberry-themed desserts

From luxury hotels to chain cafés and neighborhood bakeries, strawberry-themed products routinely sell out during peak season. Sungsimdang, a well-known bakery in Daejeon, is famous for its winter-only Strawberry Siru, a layer cake that draws customers from across the country. Long lines often form hours before opening, underscoring the dessert’s cult following.

Major food brands also capitalize on the seasonal craze. Baskin Robbins released its January flavor, Berry Good, featuring fresh strawberries blended with a creamy base. Coffee chains such as Starbucks and Twosome Place introduce limited edition strawberry cakes and beverages each winter, further fueling consumer demand.

The trend has extended into the hospitality industry, with hotels hosting elaborate strawberry buffets that showcase the fruit in a wide range of creative preparations. Major hotels such as JW Marriott, Grand InterContinental Seoul and The Shilla Hotel offer premium strawberry-themed desserts, often at high price points that nonetheless attract steady crowds.

Celebrity influence has also played a role in sustaining the strawberry boom. Television personality Park Myung-soo is known for his annual strawberry cake tastings, while model and entertainer Joo Woo-jae recently shared videos showing him sampling strawberry desserts. These have amplified public curiosity, translating online interest into real-world purchases.

Model Joo Woo-jae tries various strawberry cake desserts, Jan. 2. Captured from todaysjoowoojae's YouTube

Types of K-strawberries

The wide range of strawberry varieties available has fueled consumer interest in Korea, where strawberries remain one of the most popular winter fruits. Their distinctive flavors and aromas have earned devoted followings, with many consumers eager to sample different cultivars throughout the season.

Most strawberries in Korea are grown in controlled greenhouse environments, allowing farmers to precisely manage temperature, humidity and nutrients. This cultivation method has contributed to the consistent quality of Korean strawberries, a key factor behind their growing domestic and international appeal.

Seolhyang is the most widely consumed strawberry variety in Korea. Known for its sweet flavor, soft texture and balanced sugar-to-acid ratio, it quickly became the dominant cultivar after its introduction, prized for its juiciness and firmness.

Maehyang stands out for its excellent storability, making it particularly well suited for long-distance transportation. Its firm texture and sweetness have helped it emerge as a leading export variety, driving a Korean strawberry boom across Southeast Asia.

Korean strawberry cultivars / Korea Times graphic by Ahn Seo-hyeon

Jukhyang is considered the sweetest of Korean strawberry varieties and is recognized for its honey-like aroma. While other varieties appear as early as late November, Jukhyang is typically harvested from late January. Due to its premium quality, it is often sold in department stores.

Keumsil, a smaller, cone-shaped strawberry, features high sugar content and firm flesh. Its flavor profile closely resembles Seolhyang, with a peach-like aroma. The variety is also popularly used in baking for its natural sweetness and firmness that allows for precise presentation.

King’s Berry is notable for its exceptionally large size, with individual fruits weighing between 30 and 50 grams. Soft, juicy and sweet, it is known for its peach-like fragrance and well-balanced acidity, offering layered notes.

Numerous other cultivars, including Altaking, Snowberry, Highberry, Daewang, Goseul and Arihyang are also grown domestically and exported overseas. New varieties continue to be developed, as Korean farmers and breeders seek to create the next generation of premium strawberries.

Visitors make strawberry jam at the Nonsan Strawberry Festival in South Chungcheong Province, March 21, 2024. Courtesy of Nonsan City Hall

K-strawberry exports

According to K-Berry, a strawberry export organization, Korea’s strawberry exports reached $69 million in 2024, nearly doubling from $32 million in 2016. The figures underscore the rapid expansion of Korea’s strawberry industry over the past decade.

More than 90 percent of the exports are destined for Southeast Asian markets, including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Malaysia, where demand continues to rise.

Growing overseas interest was also evident at the Nonsan City Agri-Food Expo, held in Indonesia last year, which drew 85,000 visitors on its opening day, highlighting the region’s strong appetite for Korean agricultural products.

Where do the best strawberries grow?

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ crop production survey, the top strawberry-producing regions in Korea in 2025 were South Gyeongsang Province with 66,029 tons, South Chungcheong Province at 30,116 tons and South Jeolla Province with 15,708 tons.

Strawberries can now be grown year-round as agricultural technology has advanced over the past few decades. In Korea’s top-producing regions, many farms have embraced modern methods such as smart farms and hydroponics to improve efficiency. With smart-farm systems regulating temperature and humidity, farmers can harvest regardless of the season.

Map of Korea's major strawberry-growing regions / Korea Times graphic by Ahn Seo-hyeon

Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province

Miryang is recognized as the birthplace of strawberry cultivation in Korea. In 1943, Song Jun-saeng brought strawberry seedlings from Japan and planted them in Samrangjin, marking the beginning of domestic strawberry farming. South Gyeongsang Province remains the country’s leading producer.

Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province

Nonsan has a long association with strawberries and is known for the annual Nonsan Strawberry Festival, held since 1997. Strawberry farming began in earnest in the 1960s, taking advantage of the fertile plains of the province and relatively mild winter temperatures. Nonsan is also home to a strawberry research institute focused on developing new strawberry varieties. Last year, the city announced that the 2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo was officially approved as an international event, further elevating the region’s status in the strawberry industry.

Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province

Hadong County has expanded its strawberry exports beyond Asia to a growing number of overseas markets. Okjong strawberries are grown along the Deokcheon River basin, nourished by clean waters flowing from Mount Jiri. In 2023, strawberries from the area were exported to the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Last December, about 1 ton of Okjong strawberries, worth roughly $30,000, was shipped to Brazil, marking Korea’s first strawberry export to the Latin American market.

From left, BTS member Jimin, Suga, Jung Kook, RM, Jin and J-hope pose for a picture taken by V at a strawberry farm, June 14, 2022. Courtesy of V on Weverse

Strawberry picking activities

Just like apple picking is known to be an American fall activity, strawberry picking has become a winter activity for friends and families in Korea. Many elementary schools offer field trips to these farms so students can learn all about strawberries, from planting and cultivating to picking.

If you want to go strawberry picking this winter, there are many farms opening up their doors.

Korea Times interns Ahn Seo-hyun and Kim Sur-hyun visited the Star Village Farm, where K-pop stars Sungchan and Shotaro of RIIZE filmed an episode for their YouTube show "What's Up, Sungchan, Shotaro?!"

Farm name: Star Village Farm
Address: 396-1 Yongjeong-ri, Jingeon-eup, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province
Cost: 22,000 won ($15) per person to pick 500 grams of strawberries
* One child under 24 months may enter free of charge when accompanied by one participating parent
Optional: Strawberry cream box cake with strawberry shake ($11) and strawberry waffle with strawberry shake ($11)
Operating dates: December to June
Transportation: Accessible via public transportation, parking available
Reservations: Reservations through third party tour groups offer English guidance. Contact the tour group or Star Village Farm for more information.
Naver reservations to visit the farm are available only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Ahn Seo-hyeon and Kim Sur-hyun are Korea Times interns.