"To My Grandfather's Homeland": Woo Jang-chun's Grandson in Japan to Visit Korea

[Financial News] The National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science under the Rural Development Administration (RDA) said on the 9th that it will invite descendants living in Japan to Korea on Aug. 10, the 67th anniversary of the death of Woo Jang-chun, a pioneer of modern Korean agriculture.
The event is a follow-up measure to the foundation laid in November last year for exchanges with Woo's descendants. It was organized to reflect on Woo Jang-chun's achievements in agriculture and horticulture and to strengthen the basis for cooperation between the horticultural industries of the two countries. Woo was an agricultural scientist who laid the foundation for the development of Korea's horticulture and seed industries. After liberation, he returned to Korea in 1950 and led research on vegetable seed self-sufficiency and variety improvement. As the first head of the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science, he is regarded as a figure who laid the groundwork for domestic horticultural research and the seed industry. He also contributed to the global development of breeding science by establishing the theory of "species synthesis."
The family members visiting Korea include 10 people, among them Woo's grandson and great-grandson. Woo grew up and continued his research in Japan during the Japanese colonial period and around the time of liberation, and his descendants also live there. On Aug. 10, they will visit Woo Jang-chun's grave at Yeogisan in Suwon and attend a memorial rite to pay tribute to him. They will then meet with the RDA commissioner and spend time reflecting on Woo's achievements.
On Aug. 11, Woo's grandson, Sunaga Toshiharu, will speak at an overseas expert invitation seminar hosted by the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science. He will present on "Recent Trends in Japan's Flower Market (Potted Plants and Seedlings)." The institute expects the talk to help domestic researchers and industry officials better understand the latest market information, boost the competitiveness of Korea's flower industry, and expand international cooperation. Sunaga works for the Japanese horticultural company FS Bloom. FS Bloom is a subsidiary of household goods and pesticide maker Fumakilla. In 2021, it took over Syngenta Japan's flower business in Japan and has since exclusively handled and supplied Syngenta Flowers varieties in the country.
After the seminar, the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science plans to tour major research facilities, including its public relations center and healing farm, with the descendants to introduce the progress of Korea's horticultural research and discuss future exchange plans. The descendants are scheduled to visit the Woo Jang-choon Memorial Hall in Dongnae District, Busan Metropolitan City, on Aug. 12 before returning home.
Kim Dae-hyun, head of the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science under the RDA, said, "This event is meaningful because it combines remembrance and the inheritance of Woo's spirit through a visit to his grave and memorial rite, along with industrial exchange through an expert presentation from abroad." He added, "We hope the family's visit will lead to continued exchanges and become a starting point for broader international academic and industrial cooperation."
[email protected] Reporter Choi Yong-jun, Agriculture Reporter