Gyeongkuk National University hosts forum on branding, certification for North Gyeongsang native honeybee honey

Gyeongkuk National University co-hosted a forum on building a brand and certification system for North Gyeongsang Province's native honeybee honey on Tuesday, in partnership with the North Gyeongsang Province Agricultural Research and Extension Services and the North Gyeongsang chapter of the Korea Native Beekeeping Association. The event was held at the university's regional education and culture complex.

Attendees included native honeybee farmers, university representatives, government officials, agricultural technology experts and brand specialists, who gathered to discuss ways to link honey production, quality control, certification, packaging and retail.

Among the participants were Eom Woo-seop, chairman of the North Gyeongsang chapter of the Korea Native Beekeeping Association, and about 130 association members.

The opening ceremony was moderated by Park Young-jin, a professor at Gyeongkuk National University.

Park Chan-guk, director general of the North Gyeongsang Province agriculture, livestock and distribution bureau, said the province would recognize the importance of the native honeybee industry in the Baekdudaegan mountain range region and develop support measures. Kim Yong-gyun, dean of the College of Life Sciences and Engineering at Gyeongkuk National University, said the convergence of regional agricultural biotech and engineering was key to local development.

In the main presentation, Jang Sang-gi, chief executive of Jiyeokdaun Label Co., said a regional brand should go beyond mere trademarks or packaging design to encompass the area's natural environment and history, the philosophy of its producers and the experience of its consumers.

Jang Hyeon-jeong, a researcher at Gyeongkuk National University, then introduced the current state of certification for native livestock in North Gyeongsang Province and an analysis of the physicochemical properties and safety of native honeybee honey.

Professor Jeong Cheol-ui presented a certification framework combining honey quality standards, residue safety assessments, carbon isotope ratio-based authenticity testing and native bee genetic analysis. He said objective analytical results must underpin the credibility of a shared brand.

The panel discussion featured Nam Dong-su, a master craftsman, Lee Woo-gyeong, an extension officer at the North Gyeongsang Province Agricultural Research and Extension Services, and Jeon Mi-gyeong, a professor at Gyeongkuk National University.