The Chungcheongnam-do Agricultural Technology Center announced that it has completed the variety protection application for 'Jingang', a new native ginger variety developed through extensive research. This marks the first formal variety protection granted to native ginger in South Korea. Jingang is a diploid ginger that has been modified to a tetraploid state, resulting in a medium-sized ginger with a darker leaf color and thicker stems compared to standard medium-sized gingers. It has garnered positive consumer feedback, scoring 3.8 out of 5 in preference tests against foreign ginger varieties.

This development comes at a crucial time as the market has been dominated by imported gingers from countries like China and India, owing to the inconsistent quality and low production capacity of native ginger. Traditionally, ginger cultivation benefits from vegetative propagation, yet the absence of a standardized seed production system has limited the growth of the industry in South Korea. Therefore, the Agricultural Technology Center aims to build a solid foundation for the native ginger industry by developing efficient cultivation techniques and working on seed production bases.

Researchers at the center believe that ensuring stable supply of Jingang seeds will help to establish the variety and consequently reinforce South Korea's sovereignty over ginger seeds while reducing dependency on imports. The plan includes distributing well-sized Jingang seed samples (weighing 20-30 grams with 2-3 buds) to farmers, with hopes that the promotion of this native variety will enhance local ginger production and sustainability in the domestic market.