BUSAN — Busan is rolling out an unusual childbirth celebration program that congratulates babies born in the city while promoting the quality of its specialty rice. The event links newborn celebrations to consumption of local farm products.
The Busan Agricultural Technology Center will accept online applications for "A Child Raised on Busan Rice!" from the 12th through the 23rd. Babies born this year to guardians residing in Busan as of the application date are eligible. Applicants must submit a birth certificate along with documents verifying Busan residency and family relations, and must redact unnecessary personal information such as the latter digits of resident registration numbers and medical records. For multiple births such as twins, a separate application may be filed for each child.
The center will review eligibility and documents to select the first 200 applicants. Applications may close before the deadline if the quota is filled. Selected families will receive Hwanggeumyechan rice harvested in Busan this year, packaged to match the weight recorded on the birth certificate, with deliveries made in stages from the 28th of this month through Nov. 4. The packaging will carry the baby's birth weight and information about Busan rice.
The center also plans to invite three to five participating families to the 39th Busan Farmers' Festival, to be held on the 28th at the lawn plaza of Daejeo Ecological Park, for a rice presentation ceremony and commemorative photos. Further details, including how to apply, are available on the center's website or by contacting its talent development team.
"We planned this event to promote the value of Hwanggeumyechan, our local specialty rice, and to build a foundation for rice consumption alongside future generations," said Park Mi-jin, head of the center. "We hope it gives residents a chance to appreciate the value of local farm products through Busan rice."