Yeongju City Ships First Batch of Golden Apples 'Golden Ball', the Gold Medal Fruit

Tangy and Sweet Flavor, Good Storability Expected to Attract Consumers

The new apple variety Golden Ball, known for its sweet and tangy flavor and excellent storability, is emerging as a new powerhouse in the summer and Chuseok apple markets. Its first shipment began on the 20th in Yeongju, the nation’s largest apple-producing region.

Golden Ball is a yellow apple developed by the Apple Research Center of the Rural Development Administration to address the issue of poor coloration caused by climate warming. It has been distributed to local farms since 2022 and, now in its third year of cultivation, is being shipped in earnest.

Golden Ball is harvested in mid-August and boasts a sugar content of 15 Brix and an acidity of 0.5%, offering a well-balanced flavor. Its firmness and storability allow it to be distributed from summer through the post-Chuseok season.

An official from Yeongju City stated, "Yeongju is introducing a variety of domestically developed apple varieties with strong competitiveness that cater to consumer preferences. With the full-scale shipment of Golden Ball, we hope it will become a new source of income for apple farmers in Yeongju."

A farmer in Yeongju is harvesting Golden Ball ahead of shipment.