“Enjoy Yeongju 8.15 Fresh Rice for Chuseok Holiday”
The first harvest of the "8.15 Gwangbok Rice" for this year has begun in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk, a region known as the birthplace of the Daehan Gwangbokdan and a center of anti-Japanese militia activity.
Yeongju City held the "2024 8.15 Gwangbok Rice Cultivation Complex First Rice Harvest Event" on August 14, in the paddy field of farmer Hwang Sunseop in Ogyeri, Anjeong-myeon, despite the ongoing summer heat.
The 8.15 Gwangbok Rice varieties harvested on this day were Jinokbyeo, Ppareumibyeo, and Haedambyeo, all early-maturing types, and the harvest came 112 days after the first rice planting on April 24.
Starting with this first harvest, the city plans to harvest 120 tons by the end of this month and introduce the "8.15 Gwangbok Rice" (4kg, 5kg) brand to consumers for the Chuseok holiday.
"8.15 Gwangbok Rice" is a brand developed by Yeongju City in cooperation with Anjeong Agricultural Cooperative since 2012 as new crop rice for Chuseok, aiming to help rice producers overcome difficulties such as market opening and falling rice prices.
To ensure a stable supply of raw rice for 8.15 Gwangbok Rice, the city has established a 20-hectare contract cultivation complex through Anjeong Agricultural Cooperative (headed by Son Gieul) and is providing 30 million KRW in incentives to participating farmers.
Park Namseo, Mayor of Yeongju, said, "We expect that the early shipment of high-quality new crop rice will increase farmers' income and enhance the reputation of Yeongju rice," and added, "I hope that the 8.15 Gwangbok Rice produced in Yeongju, the birthplace of the Daehan Gwangbokdan, will become a symbol that reminds us of patriotism."
Meanwhile, Yeongju has a deep historical connection to National Liberation Day. The Daehan Gwangbokdan, which led independence movements both domestically and abroad during the Japanese colonial period, was first organized in 1913 in Punggi, Yeongju, and the Daehan Gwangbokdan Memorial Park, honoring their noble patriotic spirit, is located in Sanbeop-ri, Punggi-eup, Yeongju City.
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