Agricultural Frontier - Park Gong-young, Representative of Woori Flower Farming Cooperative
Exporting 50 varieties to the Netherlands, the US, Japan, etc… The main figure in cultivating poppies for ornamental purposes, with royalty income alone reaching 2 billion won within three years. The pink carnation wall at the entrance of Namsan Tunnel No. 1 and the plant wall at Gangdong-gu Office were also created by his hands. According to the ‘Seed Industry Status Survey’ released by the National Seed Center last April, out of the 1,207 seed companies surveyed, only 10 responded that they had received royalties, and the royalty income they collected amounted to a mere 300 million won. The situation is similar in the floriculture sector. Despite these dire circumstances, there is one place that has begun to achieve results by continuously knocking on the doors of overseas flower markets. The protagonist is Woori Flower Farming Cooperative (Woori Seed Group), which is exporting Korean wildflowers after improving them into garden varieties. At the end of last month, I met CEO Park Gong-young (51, pictured) at the Woori Flower Farming Cooperative farm in Moga-myeon, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. ◆ The Story of the ‘Variety Independent Army’s’ Conquest of the Netherlands CEO Park introduced himself as a ‘Variety Independent Army.’ He stated that his mission is to spread domestic flower varieties in the Korean flower market, which is dominated by foreign varieties, and to export them overseas. He is focusing on wildflowers. He said, “Overseas, there are many garden flowers with large buds like tulips, but there are not many that possess the delicate charm of Korean wildflowers,” adding that “differentiation is possible.” The lifespan of garden flowers is to bloom for a long time. However, most Korean wildflowers bloom for just over ten days before wilting. After pushing for variety improvement, CEO Park developed wildflowers that bloom from spring to autumn. These include Coreopsis, an improved variety of the flower known as the "mini cosmos," and the evergreen grass pink, based on the wild pink. CEO Park first knocked on the door of the overseas flower market in 2003. "I blindly participated in international flower expos and offered a price one-tenth of the general market rate, but no one placed an order," he recalled. Then, in 2008, he succeeded in securing his first contract. However, there was no news that the company that took the varieties had actually grown and sold the flowers. "I didn't realize that the global flower market is dominated by Dutch companies that control the seed industry. I found that in the Netherlands, everything from the breeders developing varieties to the retailers is bound by strict contractual relationships."
Afterward, CEO Park strove to join the 'Dutch network.' After a few years, overseas buyers also began to change their minds about Korean flowers. In 2010, he signed a trial cultivation contract with Armada of the Netherlands. He also signed a royalty-receiving contract with Hakusan of Japan. In 2011, a test cultivation contract was signed with the U.S. company Pacific. This year, I was also formally invited to a global seminar being held in the Netherlands for the first time.
“Approximately 50 varieties of our native flowers are being exported. We expect to generate 2 billion won in royalty income alone within three years.”
◆ A Young Man Who Dreamed of Becoming a Poet Representative Park originally wanted to become a poet specializing in peasant literature. In 1985, he entered the College of Agriculture at Yeonam University. However, there were quite a few reactions questioning, "How could poetry be of any help to agriculture?" While contemplating his career path, he decided to research wildflower varieties after attending several lectures by the late Professor Lee Chang-bok, an expert in plant taxonomy. Representative Park's first job was at Seoul Seed Company. Around the time he had been working there for about five years, the Asian financial crisis (1997) broke out. It was during this time that most domestic seed companies fell into the hands of foreign capital. Seoul Seed was sold to Novartis, a Swiss multinational corporation. Many developers resigned and pursued careers as independent breeders. CEO Park, however, remained at the company for two more years. This experience became a significant asset.
“Until then, I thought of foreign varieties as unconditionally the enemy. But as I became an employee at Novartis and inevitably had to handle foreign varieties, my perspective changed. I realized that improving domestic varieties based on the characteristics of foreign genetic resources could be a viable solution.”
◆ Planting Flowers on the Walls of Namsan Tunnel No. 1 Overcoming challenging circumstances, Woori Seed Group’s annual revenue has risen to the level of 5 to 10 billion won. Although sales fluctuate depending on the demand for garden creation, the company has secured a stable foundation. More than 1 billion won of revenue is generated from native wildflower varieties. They generate approximately 200 to 300 million won in sales from Coreopsis and Gaura, respectively, and sell over 100 million won worth of Dianthus. There are many green spaces in Korea that utilize flowers from Woori Seed Group. The garden at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, created in 2010, and the road flowerbeds at the Jung-gu District Office are works by Woori Seed Group. In 2015, the area around Yeouido Park in Seoul was decorated with native wildflowers. The plant wall at the Gangdong-gu District Office and the wall of pink carnations at the entrance of Namsan Tunnel No. 1 are also works by CEO Park. CEO Park is also a key figure who enabled the cultivation of opium poppies, known only as narcotics, as garden flowers.