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but throughout the local community. Other
Islands of Korea, Islands of the World Behind the Success of
What’s the Secret
“Jindo Island’s
Green Onion”?
To Jindo’s Green Onion
“Oh, green onion
thanks to you,
we’re living well. Team Lead,
Agricultural and Fisheries
Distribution Planning,
Vol.03 You were absolutely Jindo County
delicious.” Interview with
Hyeon Park
Once just another agricultural product, Jindo
Green Onion has transformed into a regional icon
and economic driver. With growing pride among
residents and strong trust from consumers and
corporations, Jindo Green Onion is expanding its
reach across industries. We spoke with Hyeon Park,
who leads Jindo’s agricultural and fisheries branding
efforts, to learn more about the green onion’s rise
and its future potential.
Q1. The Jindo Green Onion craze is gaining
traction. How are locals responding?
Jindo Green Onion has become a leading symbol of
loconomy (local + economy), representing regional
agriculture and economic revival. Naturally, this has
28 sparked immense pride not only among farmers
Q2. Consumer trust was key in Island Story
municipalities are now benchmarking Jindo’s
model, and corporate collaboration requests
continue to grow—helping solidify Jindo Green
Onion as a trusted brand.
establishing Jindo Green Onion as
a brand. Can you elaborate?
Absolutely. The foundation of Jindo Green Onion’s
growth has been consumer trust. People recognize
Jindo-grown agricultural and marine products
as safe and reliable—something they can “buy
and eat with confidence.” That reputation is what
allowed Jindo Green Onion to evolve into a brand,
and now we’re preparing for expansion into even
larger markets.
Q3. What are your specific plans for
expanding Jindo Green Onion’s reach?
We’re working on several exciting initiatives:
- Global Expansion: We’re reviewing plans to
bring the Jindo Green Onion Burger—a locally
developed menu item—to the U.S. market,
marking the first overseas launch of its kind.
- New Culinary Concepts: We’re developing green
onion based products like meal kits inspired by
Spain’s calcotada and samhap-style fusion dishes
that feature Jindo green onions.
- Wider Corporate Partnerships : We aim to
strengthen partnerships with major corporations
to further enhance trust in our agricultural and
marine products and broaden our distribution
network.
Q4. How has corporate collaboration
impacted the local economy?
The partnership between Jindo, McDonald’s, and
BGF Retail has been a standout case of successful
regional-corporate cooperation. It showcased
the high quality of Jindo’s produce to a national
audience and built mutual satisfaction through
win-win strategies. We hope this becomes a model
for similar partnerships between other regions
and companies beyond Jindo.
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