After planting roots in countryside, Byeon Hyun-dan sows legacy of Korea's native seeds
Published: 19 Jun. 2025, 14:34
Updated: 19 Jun. 2025, 20:53
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/19/620ac42a-7714-454b-be7c-bfc9fb6c1129.jpg)
Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]
In farming, everything begins with the seed. There’s even an old saying: “Even if a farmer starves, they sleep with next year’s seed beneath their head.” But in today’s agriculture, that tradition is fading. Most farmers now rely on commercial seed companies, which offer scientifically engineered seeds that increase yields and profitability.
But the shift has had unintended consequences. Purchased seeds often lose viability by the second generation. As single, high-yield varieties become standard, biodiversity in crops is gradually vanishing. With climate change increasingly damaging specific varieties, seeds once considered old-fashioned — local strains that have evolved to suit specific soils and microclimates — are now gaining new attention.
![Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/19/1428e0c4-706d-4728-b26b-b74e1cdaf734.jpg)
Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]
![Logo for the Yumin Awards, held annually to honor ″Yumin″ Hong Jin-ki, the late co-founder and former chairman of the JoongAng Ilbo [YUMIN AWARDS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/19/e978f58e-dfd8-4e79-b2e5-d4174a72c795.jpg)
Logo for the Yumin Awards, held annually to honor ″Yumin″ Hong Jin-ki, the late co-founder and former chairman of the JoongAng Ilbo [YUMIN AWARDS]
Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. Once a typical office worker, Byeon left city life in her 40s and moved to the countryside.
She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category.
A neighbor gave her some corn to try planting, but the harvest for the following year failed, introducing her to the commercial F1 hybrid seed, which can’t be reliably reproduced. She soon learned that this applied to most crops, and her search for an answer led to the founding of Native Seedream in 2008.
Each year since, she has traveled the country collecting traditional seeds. To date, she has gathered more than 10,000 varieties, categorizing them by region and species. After a two- to three-year breeding process, she evaluates them for both preservation and commercial value.
The group runs its own seed farm, Euneunga, and supplies seeds to members nationwide, building a database of results. Some samples are shared with the Rural Development Administration’s seed bank and the national seed vault in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang — a scale of effort typically reserved for government agencies.
Last year, as climate volatility intensified, Korean agriculture suffered. A spring cold snap destroyed fruit blossoms, sending prices soaring. Potatoes, cabbage and lettuce also suffered. But Native Seedream’s diverse seed stock proved more resilient, reinforcing the value of its work.
![Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/19/cb0bdfd1-65ed-4abe-ae87-201468e21b6d.jpg)
Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Now preparing for the approaching monsoon, Byeon said this summer’s crops are at risk.
“The temperature swings in the first half of the year were extreme, and the rainy season is expected to be long,” she said. “Unusual weather is becoming the norm, so we urgently need seeds and farming methods that can adapt.
“The fact that a seed activist was selected for this award reflects growing public awareness of how much has changed,” she said.
Native Seedream plans to expand further this year, launching a research center to enrich its seed database with historical, geographic and cultural context. It also aims to explore medicinal food traditions, using native crops to promote healing under the philosophy of yaksik dongwon — that food and medicine share the same roots.
“Native seeds may not replace commercial farming,” said Byeon, “but they can offer self-reliance rooted in diversity — and perhaps become something society can lean on.”
Run by the JoongAng Hwadong Foundation, the Yumin Awards were established in 2010 in memory of Hong Jin-ki (1917-1986), co-founder and former chairman of the JoongAng Ilbo, who was active in government, business and media during the founding of the country and throughout its industrialization.
The awards recognize Koreans who made outstanding contributions to society, science and technology, as well as the culture and arts.
This year’s winners were praised for their forward-thinking achievements. The award’s judging panel includes Oh Se-jung, former president of Seoul National University and chair of the selection committee; Oh Jun-ho, distinguished professor at KAIST; Yu Myeong-hee, honorary researcher at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology; Kim Eun-mee, professor at Seoul National University; Joo Wan, attorney at Kim & Chang; Kim Bong-ryol, former president of the Korea National University of Arts; and Jang Eun-soo, head of the Editorial Culture Laboratory.
The late Hong founded Korea’s first private broadcaster, Tongyang Broadcasting Company (TBC), and later launched the JoongAng Ilbo, turning it into one of Korea’s leading newspapers.
![Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/19/27172e9f-32ca-414c-a5da-2070cca18db1.jpg)
Byeon Hyun-dan, head of the civic group Native Seedream, has spent the last 17 years finding, breeding and distributing Korea’s native seeds. She is the recipient of this year’s Yumin Awards' society category. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Byeon Hyun-dan
*Born in 1964
*Began operating the community self-support farm Yeondoo Farm (2004)
*Founded Native Seedream (2008) and began collecting native Korean seeds (over 10,000 varieties collected as of 2024)
*Established the Native School for seed education (2012)
*Opened the Euneunga seed farm (2017)
*Developed a native seed management database system (2022)
*Scheduled to launch the Native Seedream Research Center (2025)
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI HYEON-CHUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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