The “Discussion for the Development of the Traditional Liquor Industry and Policy Establishment” was held on the 16th at the Jeonbuk Provincial Assembly with the participation of Assemblyman Choi Hyeong-yeol and the traditional liquor industry. Assemblyman Choi stated at the event, “Last year, the most searched word related to food recipes announced by Google was bibimbap,” and explained, “In this K-food trend, we need policies to help our traditional liquor leap into the world.”
Jeon Seong-ju, the president of the Traditional Liquor and Makgeolli Association, emphasized, “Traditional liquors that reflect regional characteristics are becoming a new trend in alcohol consumption,” and “We can even expect to revitalize the local economy by promoting the consumption of local agricultural products and developing cultural industries.” In response, Kim Yeo-myeong, the representative of the Hapgut Village Cultural Producers’ Cooperative, said, “The traditional liquor industry is connected to the local brewing industry, agricultural industry, and food industry, so it can bring about significant mutual growth effects,” and expressed her opinion, saying, “We need to change the perception of traditional liquor through tourism and festivals, and move toward industrialization.”
The discussion was attended by Professor Sim Woo-seok of Jeonju University, Team Leader Song Young-ae of the Korea Traditional Culture Center, and Baek Seung-ha, Director of the Agricultural Life and Food Division of Jeollabuk-do Province, who shared various opinions on the direction of development and policy making of traditional industries. Assemblyman Choi said, “Jeonbuk’s traditional liquor, which contains a thousand-year history, taste, and style, is our unique cultural heritage,” and added, “I will do my best to ensure that the traditional liquor industry can achieve innovation.”
