Yeongju kicks off summer apple season with 'Summer King' and 'Summer Prince' varieties

North Gyeongsang Province's Yeongju has begun shipping its summer apples in earnest.

According to Yeongju City, opening ceremonies were held Sunday at the Samyeong Agricultural Products Auction House and Monday at the Punggi Agricultural Cooperative Auction House to mark the start of the summer apple distribution season.

About 300 people attended the ceremonies, including Yeongju Mayor Hwang Byeong-jik, Assembly member Im Jong-deuk, Yeongju City Council Speaker Lee Sang-geun, city council members, agricultural cooperative and auction house officials, farming organization representatives, and apple growers.

The two auction houses serve as the main local distribution hubs for Yeongju apples, handling transactions from the summer harvest through the autumn apple season.

The Summer King and Summer Prince varieties now hitting the market are grown amid wide daily temperature swings and a clean natural environment — qualities that give Yeongju apples their high sugar content and consistent quality, earning them a loyal following among consumers.

"We will continue working to boost the brand value of Yeongju apples and build a distribution environment where farmers receive fair prices, through the revitalization of auction houses and stronger competitiveness in local distribution," Mayor Hwang said.