Park Gong-young, CEO of Woori Seed, recognized for 'exporting Korean-style gardens' as the April Rural Convergence Industry Person of the Month

Developed and sold over 100 varieties of excellent wildflowers

Beyond simple flower sales, the distribution of vertical gardens

2.4 billion won in sales last year… overseas royalties as well

Park Gong-young, CEO of Woori Seed Co., Ltd., an agricultural corporation that developed and exported ‘Korean-style gardens’ to the U.S. and Japan, was selected as this month’s Rural Convergence Industry Person of the Month.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on the 9th that it has selected Park Gong-young, CEO of Woori Seed, as the Rural Convergence Industry Person of the Month for April. The Ministry has been selecting a person who creates added value through the primary industry of cultivating agricultural products, the secondary industry of manufacturing and processing them, and the tertiary (service) industry encompassing distribution, experience, and tourism, as the Rural Convergence Industry Person of the Month every month.

CEO Park, who majored in agricultural biology at university, founded Woori Seed in 2013 while working at a major seed company and succeeded in developing a large number of superior wildflowers and commercializing them. Over the five years since its establishment, he bred more than 100 species of wildflowers, registering 96 of them for protection with the National Seed Center. He also personally produced and sold over 3 million wildflowers.

Woori Seed has developed numerous patented technologies specifically related to landscaping and planting, expanding its landscaping business to include vertical gardens for building exteriors and Korean-style gardens, and distributing them to schools, parks, and roads. In addition, the company operates the "Icheon Green Academy," an urban gardening education and experience program, in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, where it is located.

As a result, Woori Seed generated 2.396 billion won in sales last year alone with just four employees. It has also expanded into overseas markets, including the U.S., Japan, and Europe, receiving over 9 million won in variety usage fees (royalties) annually. The number of visitors to its experience programs has also reached approximately 50,000.

Kim Shin-jae, Head of the Rural Industry Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, “Woori Seed is going beyond simply conveying the beauty of flowers to creating diverse everyday spaces where people can encounter wildflowers,” adding, “We will continue to provide support to create more excellent examples of rural convergence industries like this.”