Hwaseong's Songsan Immersed in Grape Fragrance

Songsan Agricultural Cooperative in Hwaseong City (Chairman Hong Sa-deok) and Songsan Grape Farming Corporation (CEO Kim Woo-sik) held the Songsan Grape Festival on the 3rd and 4th at the Songsan Agricultural Cooperative sales venue to promote Songsan grapes, which boast the finest taste and sugar content in Korea.

On the first day of the festival, the 3rd, approximately 1,000 visitors including Hwaseong City Mayor Chae In-seok, Hwaseong City Council Chairman Kim Gyeong-o, and citizens of Hwaseong attended the festival venue.

Hong Sa-deok, chairman of Songsan Agricultural Cooperative who organized the event, said, "We were worried that the high rainfall this summer would reduce sugar content and quality, but through the efforts of farmers utilizing unheated greenhouses and rain shelters, we have produced Korea's finest grapes, which brings us great joy."

Hwaseong City Mayor Chae In-seok said, "I am proud of the farmers in the Songsan area who created Songsan grapes, Korea's finest grape brand," and added, "We will actively support the Songsan Grape Festival to increase farmers' income and boost the local economy."

Meanwhile, at the Songsan Grape Evaluation held prior to the festival, Campbell Early grapes cultivated and entered by Jang Hee-seok of Gojung-ri, Songsan-myeon, earned the prestigious Grand Prize, drawing envy from other grape farmers.

The festival continued with grape-related events including grape-eating race, grape juice-drinking race, and grape-moving game, as well as various celebratory performances.

At the sales booths set up at the festival venue, there was a continuous stream of visitors, with many purchasing 3 to 5 boxes at a time. According to officials, residents from Dongtan-myeon chartered two buses on the first day to visit the festival and purchase Songsan grapes in large quantities.

Meanwhile, Songsan grapes boast the finest taste and quality thanks to the maritime air currents of the West Coast area and the significant daily temperature variation. Approximately 1,200 farming households cultivate Songsan grapes over 650 hectares, with annual production reaching 13,600 tons.