Hadong ramps up marketing efforts at the festival to promote its distinctive wild-grown green tea
“Even Starbucks acknowledges its quality, importing 100 tons annually to U.S. stores”
Hadong County is making waves in the global tea industry with its renowned Hadong green tea, a product of Korea’s centuries-old tea culture. This wild-grown tea, known for its deep and unique flavor, is gaining popularity worldwide. Hadong County will present its famous green tea to the Atlanta and Southeast U.S. regions at the 2024 Korean Festival, held in Gwinnett County on October 5-6, as part of its ambitious marketing campaign.
Representatives from Hadong, including Jang Dong Hyeon, Head of Export Support, Noh Ki Chul, Green Tea Industry Officer, and Dr. Shim Doobo, a Senior Researcher at the Hadong Green Tea Research Institute, are leading this global promotion effort. These “green tea ambassadors” are on a mission to bring the rich flavors of Hadong’s wild-grown tea to the world.
Noh explained, “Hadong County is the birthplace of wild tea cultivation in Korea. Unlike other regions, we plant seeds in the wild, allowing the tea to grow in a natural environment, which gives it its distinctive deep flavor.” He pointed out that Hadong’s Ssanggyesa Temple tea plantation is the oldest in Korea, located in Unsu-ri, Hwagae-myeon.
In 2017, Hadong green tea was recognized as a Global Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), confirming its status as a world-class tea. Jang Dong Hyeon emphasized, “Starbucks also recognizes the quality and taste of Hadong green tea, importing 100 tons of it annually for use in its U.S. stores. There’s a good chance that the matcha latte you enjoy at Starbucks contains Hadong green tea.”
Hadong’s green tea is also 100% organic, hand-picked and handcrafted, earning its reputation as a “premium” tea worldwide. Dr. Shim added, “Despite being wild-grown, we achieve consistent taste and quality by running a dedicated local government-funded green tea research institute, the only one of its kind in Korea. We conduct scientific research on everything from variety development to processing methods, and we’re proud to contribute to the globalization of Hadong green tea.”
Noh highlighted Hadong County’s unique geographical advantages for tea cultivation, surrounded by Jirisan Mountain, the Seomjin River, and the South Sea. “The manual process of roasting the tea brings out a variety of flavors, and over 100 tea masters in Hadong compete to enhance the quality of our tea,” he said.
In addition to promoting Hadong green tea, the county has partnered with Good Morning Enterprise, led by CEO Park In-soon, to market its products in North America for the past 13 years. Park introduced two renowned Hadong tea brands participating in this year’s festival: Yeonwoojae and Ssanggye Myeongcha. Yeonwoojae will present its convenient stick-style green tea and premium gift sets, while Ssanggye Myeongcha will showcase wild tea traditionally roasted by Kim Dong-gon, one of Korea’s three most famous tea masters.
Following its successful promotion in Los Angeles and New York, Hadong County aims to further strengthen its marketing presence across the U.S., with a focus on Atlanta. Jang Dong Hyeon shared their vision of establishing “Hadong Tea Rooms” in cities like New York, Atlanta, London, and Mexico City to introduce not only Hadong’s premium tea but also Korea’s unique tea culture. “Interest in Hadong green tea is growing rapidly in Latin America, and after the Atlanta event, we plan to visit Mexico City to explore new opportunities,” he added.
Jang concluded by stating, “We are focusing our efforts on Atlanta, one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., and see it as a launchpad for expanding into Latin American markets, including Brazil and Paraguay. We invite everyone to visit the Hadong green tea booth at the festival and experience the world-renowned taste and aroma of our premium tea.”
Paul S. Lee, Chief Reporter
