There’s a wooden TV model at Gokseong Station in Gokseong, Jeollanam-do. On its screen are melon vines and a train running on the vines as rails. There is also a ‘melon’ sculpture on the clock tower at the intersection in front of the Gokseong Police Station and even a melon-themed town in Gokseong as well. By now, you may quickly realize that Gokseong is the hometown of melons. Gokseong Melon is a major producing area of melon, accounting for nearly 20% of Korea’s melon production. Having elevated Gokseong’s position as the main melon production area, Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. is now focusing on exporting melons to Southeast Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

#Gokseong Melon’s Signature Brand, ‘Melon Village by Train’
Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. is an agricultural corporation established in 2009 with 208 farms growing melons in Gokseong. Its signature melon brand is ‘Melon Village by Train’, which was launched and has been grown as the main agricultural brand of Gokseong by Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. since it was founded.
Gokseong melon is gaining popularity not only in Korea but also abroad, mainly exported to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. In 2019, it successfully entered high-class Japanese supermarkets, Yata and UNY, which was meaningful in checking the possibility of Korean melons to enter premium markets. Lee Seon-jae, CEO of Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd., said, “Gokseong melon has been cultivated since 1982 and marks 40th anniversary this year. Based on the long experience of Gokseong Melon, we have been working very hard with our farmers to improve flavor, sugar content, and fruit quality.”

#Musk Flavored Gokseong Melon
Gokseong Melon is an Earls-type melon with a thick net, a strong musk flavor, and a sugar content of 13-15 Brix, boasting a rich sweet taste. It is also kind of heavy with a weight of at least 1.6kg and has soft fruit and an excellent palatability. Geographical conditions play a huge role for Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. to produce the best melons.
Gokseong has an inland climate with an average annual temperature of about 13.6℃ and high daily temperature differences due to topographic characteristics, making it an optimal place for melon cultivation. In addition, the unique musk flavor of the melons was enhanced through a cultivation technique of producing only one melon per vine, and in 2009, a state-of-the-art non-destructive sugar content measurement system was introduced to select only products passing the same standard. Also, safety is secured by obtaining a GAP certification.
Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. separately sells regular melons composed of melons of 13 Brix or higher and premium melons with a sugar content of 14 Brix or higher that have undergone strict quality control by GAP certified farms.

#Gokseong Melon Goes Abroad Again
Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd.’s melon exports were 80 tons as of 2019 pre-COVID-19. Exports decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic period, but the company expressed confidence that they will recover to the previous year’s level from this year, thanks to harvesting technology optimized for export. First, Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. pays attention to the melon stem, as the stem must be thick to maintain freshness during the shelf life. In addition, 12 Brix melons are first harvested considering the ripening period; only then overseas consumers purchase 14 Brix products locally. 14 Brix is the most delicious sweetness of melon.
Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. expressed its will to further expand the processed melon products such as pickled melon, melon ice cream, and melon smoothie while pioneering the high-quality premium market in the future. CEO Lee Seon-jae said, “Gokseong melons is now preparing to become a global melon company beyond Korea. When borders reopen, I hope that foreign consumers will visit the Melon Village in Gokseong and experience Korean melon well.”

Gokseong Melon Co., Ltd. 

Web : www.gsmelon.com
Tel : +82-61-363-7602