Paju-si Hosts Academic Conference on the Value of Jangdan Baekmok and the Development of the Soybean Food Industry

Mayor Kim Kyung-il: "Paju City's Jangdan Soybean Will Maintain Its Status as the Nation's Most Competitive Soybean Brand"
Academic Conference Commemorating the Registration of 'Jangdan Baekmok' in the International Slow Food Ark of Taste

Paju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Kyung-il) announced on the 25th that it held an academic conference from the 21st to the 22nd to reexamine the value of ‘Jangdan Baekmok,’ which embodies the origin and identity of ‘Paju Jangdan Soybean,’ Korea’s representative native soybean, and to discuss development plans for the soybean food industry.

Paju City is hosting an academic conference to reexamine the value of "Jangdan Baekmok," which embodies the origin and identity of "Paju Jangdan Soybean," Korea's representative native soybean, and to discuss development plans for the soybean food industry. Photo by Paju City

The academic conference was hosted by Paju City and organized by the Korea Soybean Research Association (President Lee Jung-dong). It featured academic presentations and discussions attended by domestic soybean producers, soybean industry company officials, national research institutions, and university researchers, including former president of the Korea Soybean Research Association, Lee Hyuk-geun.

At the conference, the excellent genetic and historical value of ‘Jangdan Baekmok’ was reexamined, the history of native soybeans was reviewed, and measures to strengthen the Paju Jangdan Soybean brand were explored.

‘Jangdan Baekmok’ is Korea’s first promoted soybean variety selected from the Jangdan area of Paju City and was the most widely cultivated in Gyeonggi Province. Notably, it is a native soybean that left various descendant varieties, including the Gwanggyo seed developed in 1973 by Korea’s first hybrid breeding method. It was the first local government soybean variety to be registered in the International Slow Food Ark of Taste in May 2024.

Mayor Kim Kyung-il of Paju City said, “We will preserve ‘Jangdan Baekmok,’ Korea’s representative native soybean, and maintain the nation’s top competitive soybean brand through the specialization of Paju Jangdan Soybean.”