Nonsan, South Korea - Kim Tae-heum, the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do Province, has announced his strong commitment to supporting the globalization of Nonsan strawberries, highlighted by a promise of comprehensive backing for the upcoming '2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo'.
Governor Kim made these remarks on March 27th while attending the opening ceremony of the '2025 Nonsan Strawberry Festival' held at the Nonsan Citizen Family Park. He extended his congratulations on the festival's commencement and expressed his appreciation to both domestic and international attendees.
The opening event drew a significant crowd of around 5,000 participants, including Governor Kim, Nonsan Mayor Baek Seong-hyeon, Marullina Dewi, the Head of the Jakarta Provincial Government in Indonesia, and Moon Ji-rin, the Mayor of North Jakarta, Indonesia. The ceremony featured the unveiling of the festival's theme through a video presentation, the official opening declaration, and a vibrant opening performance.
The Nonsan Strawberry Festival has been recognized for its significance, earning the distinction of a preliminary cultural tourism festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the years 2024 and 2025. Furthermore, its selection as Chungcheongnam-do's 'One City, One Product' festival for this year includes a provincial grant of 100 million KRW, further solidifying its status as a leading specialty festival in South Korea.
The four-day festival, which will continue until March 30th, offers a variety of engaging activities, including hands-on strawberry harvesting experiences and unique helicopter rides.
During his address, Governor Kim emphasized Nonsan's prominent position in the strawberry industry, stating, "Nonsan proudly holds the title of the top strawberry farming region in Korea*, boasting unparalleled technology and experience in facility cultivation, truly making it the origin of 'strawberries'." He further highlighted the growing international recognition of Nonsan strawberries, noting their "significant popularity** at agricultural and food expos held in Thailand last year and, more recently, in Indonesia this year."
The governor also unveiled plans for the '2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo', emphasizing its potential as a "valuable opportunity to elevate Nonsan strawberries into a globally recognized commodity." He added, "With the Strawberry Expo having been selected for international event review on March 12th and final approval anticipated in July, the province pledges its full support to secure maximum national funding for this important endeavor."
The '2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo' is scheduled to take place from February 26th to March 21st, 2027, spanning 24 days. The event will be hosted at the Nonsan Citizen Family Park and the Strawberry Fragrance Rural Theme Park under the theme 'K-Berry! Smart Agriculture, Healthy Future'.
Organizers anticipate a substantial regional economic impact of 500 billion KRW and the creation of approximately 2,700 jobs as a result of the expo. The targeted number of visitors for the event is 1.54 million.
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