Soo Im Choi

Geographical indication and development plans in South Korea: a study on dried persimmons

ABSTRACT As a result of the 1994 “WTO/TRIPs Agreement”, and based on adherence to the 1999 Agricultural and Fishery Products Quality Control Act, geographical indication (GI) has been implemented in South Korea since 2000. As of the end of 2014 there were a total of 95 products registered for GI, including 32 forestry products, 53 agricultural products, and 11 fishery products. There are four registered regions for dried persimmons in a single product, which is the most of any of the 51 regions (32 forestry products) registered for GI. Accordingly, this study investigates the opinions of dried persimmon-producing farmers and purchasers to increase profits for farmers and to suggest plans for the advancement of the GI system (GIs). However, a large number of dried persimmon farmers and purchasers are not familiar with GIs. Consequently, we were able to conclude that there is a need to continually publicize the importance and aims of introducing GI, perhaps by opening a website or developing a smartphone application. Furthermore, producers must improve the product quality and the government requirements to implement quality control strategies for GI-registered dried persimmons, and to conduct thorough management and supervision of the illegal distribution of dried persimmons that misappropriates GI.

Changes and development plans in the mountain villages of South Korea: Comparison of the first and second national surveys

Owing to the geographic disadvantages of mountain villages, the social, cultural, and economic conditions of mountain villagers are inferior to those of urban dwellers in South Korea. Thus, in 1995, the The government of South Korea launched a mountain village development support program to promote agriculture and forestry, balance national land development, and preserve cultural heritage. The program was effectively implemented, improving the income, population size, and living conditions of villagers in addition to setting up a system for stable project implementation. However, concerns were raised about long-term development planning, the creation and marketing of specialty brands, facility management/operation, and follow-up support. The government conducted surveys of mountain villagers in 2003 and 2014, obtaining basic data to address these issues. This study evaluates the outcomes of these two surveys, suggesting areas requiring focused action, concentrating on village development projects, forest resource distribution and use, demographic trends, the economy, exchange with urban areas, green tourism, and master planning. We find that despite growth in the forest labor force, forest ownership is diminishing in terms of the number and scale of holdings. Consequently, it is necessary to commercialize forest resources, establish favorable settlement conditions, and expand government support for village-run projects. In addition, systematic forest management for older tree age classes would benefit the public and provide assets for future mountain village development. Our results are expected to provide baseline information for the establishment and efficient implementation of mountain village development policy.