Which Country Leaked the Ruby Roman Grape Saplings, a Premium Grape Enjoyed Even by the Japanese Prime Minister?

Ishikawa Prefecture's Breed Developed and Strictly Managed for 14 Years
Openly Sold at Seoul Department Store... Genetic Test Confirms Genotype Match

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A report from Japan has emerged claiming that saplings of the premium grape "Ruby Roman" from Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan?whose first auction price reaches 1.5 million yen (approximately 14.3 million KRW) per bunch?have been leaked to South Korea.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 7th, Ishikawa Prefecture, which has been developing Ruby Roman since 1995, purchased three bunches of grapes sold under the name Ruby Roman at three locations in Seoul, including department stores and high-end supermarkets, in August. Upon genetic testing, the grapes were found to have genotypes identical to Ishikawa Prefecture’s Ruby Roman. Considering the grape’s growing period, Ishikawa Prefecture believes the saplings were leaked more than five years ago. Although an investigation into sapling management was conducted among Ruby Roman farmers, the cause or route of the leak could not be identified. The prefecture provides Ruby Roman saplings only to farmers under strict contracts.

Ruby Roman is a variety independently developed by Ishikawa Prefecture over 14 years. Each grape weighs over 20 grams and has a sugar content exceeding 18 degrees. Since 2012, it has been exported and sold in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and other locations. Ruby Roman is also highly popular within Japan, reportedly enjoyed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

However, the Asahi Shimbun reported that the "fake" Ruby Roman grapes in South Korea are less uniform in shape and less vibrant in color compared to the Japanese product. The grapes are smaller and have a lower sugar content, measuring only 16.7 degrees. Ishikawa Prefecture is now hastening trademark applications for Ruby Roman in various countries; registration has already been completed in Taiwan, and preparations are underway for trademark registration in 47 countries, including South Korea.

This is not the first time that Japan’s luxury grapes have been leaked abroad. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries estimated that if the Shine Muscat variety, leaked around 2016, had been registered earlier, annual licensing fees exceeding 10 billion yen (approximately 95.3 billion KRW) could have been earned. Currently, Shine Muscat is rapidly spreading not only domestically but also in China, where the cultivation area is about 30 times that of Japan.

According to the National Seed Management Office, the first registration for production and sale of Ruby Roman in South Korea was made in 2020. Last year, 17 farms registered for cultivation, and by August this year, 25 farms had done so. Additionally, at the end of August, the Patent Court invalidated the "Ruby Roman" trademark held by a businessman in Jeonnam, who had registered the trademark in September 2019. Currently, domestically produced Ruby Roman grapes are sold at prices exceeding 80,000 KRW per bunch.