Insect industry opens new Chuncheon factory

The insect industry opened its first national hub in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on Tuesday, under a development initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The facility is designed to support protein-based feed, health supplements, agricultural waste treatment and jobs. It cost 20 billion won and includes smart factory and rental farms that use AI, robots and HACCP standards.

Construction of the complex began in 2023 on a 23,815-square-meter site.

The project cost 20 billion won, split equally between the central government and local governments.

The smart factory farm can produce up to 1,000 tons of mealworms annually.

The complex is the country’s first HACCP-based insect production system, according to the ministry.

Published Sep 8, 2026 2:45 pm KST

Plant to produce feeds, health supplements, reduce farm wastes

Korea’s first hub under a national insect industry development initiative opened Tuesday in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, creating a new resource for protein-based feed, health supplements, agricultural waste treatment and job creation.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said a completion ceremony for the facility was held the same day. The facility is jointly operated by the provincial and city governments and was built with a total investment of 20 billion won ($15 million), split equally between the central and local governments. Construction of the complex began in 2023.

Built on a 23,815-square-meter site, the facility includes a smart factory farm that performs the complex’s core operations, 33 rental smart farms that supply breeding insects to the factory farm and a building for facility maintenance and support.

At the smart factory farm, AI and robots monitor insect growth in real time and automate temperature, humidity and feeding controls. Equipped with automatic cleaning systems and industrial dryers, the farm can produce up to 1,000 tons of mealworms annually.

At the rental smart farms, insects with consistent protein and other nutritional content will be bred and supplied to the factory farm. The program will also encourage young local farmers to participate in the rental farm program.

The complex has applied Smart Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards to its entire rearing and production processes. According to the ministry, it is the country’s first HACCP-based insect production system, which is expected to strengthen consumer confidence and provide standardized ingredients to pharmaceutical and food companies.

Representatives of the governments of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province and the Ministry of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs pose for a group photo during a completion ceremony for an insect industry hub complex in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in front of one of the complex's buildings, Tuesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

At the ceremony, the governments of Gangwon Province and Chuncheon signed a memorandum of understanding with supplement manufacturer Hanmi Nutrition and insect food company OMO to develop industry and business models based on resource recycling.

“Until now, individual farms have produced edible insects in small quantities, making it difficult to standardize insect ingredients or secure reliable bulk supplies,” a representative of one of the participating companies said. “We expect the new hub to resolve these problems. We also plan to launch a range of new products using insects.”

The complex also plans to work with local agricultural distribution centers to turn discarded cabbages and other agricultural waste into insect feed. The ministry said the initiative will lower production and waste disposal costs while reducing carbon emissions.

“The insect industry hub will strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between farmers and businesses and serve as a stepping stone toward making the insect industry a new engine of future growth,” Jung Kyung-seok, the ministry’s director general for food industry policy, said at the ceremony.

“The ministry will fully support the growth of the insect industry through commercialization support at all stages and regulatory innovation.”

周二，韩国农林畜产食品部启动了一项发展计划，在江原道春川市开设了该国首个国家级昆虫产业中心。该中心旨在支持蛋白质饲料、保健品、农业废弃物处理以及创造就业机会。中心耗资200亿韩元，包括采用人工智能、机器人和HACCP标准的智能工厂和租赁农场。

该综合体于 2023 年开始建设，占地 23,815 平方米。

该项目耗资200亿韩元，由中央政府和地方政府各承担一半。

这座智能工厂化农场每年可生产多达 1000 吨黄粉虫。

据农业部称，该综合设施是该国首个基于HACCP的昆虫生产系统。

发布于2026年9月8日下午2:45（韩国标准时间）

工厂可生产饲料、保健品，并减少农场废弃物

韩国首个国家昆虫产业发展计划中心于周二在江原道春川市开业，为蛋白质饲料、保健品、农业废弃物处理和创造就业机会提供了新的资源。

韩国农林畜产食品部表示，该设施的竣工仪式于当日举行。该设施由省政府和市政府共同运营，总投资200亿韩元（约合1500万美元），由中央政府和地方政府各出资一半。该综合设施于2023年开工建设。

该设施建于 23,815 平方米的场地内，包括一个智能工厂化农场，负责该综合体的核心运营；33 个租赁智能农场，为工厂化农场提供繁殖昆虫；以及一栋用于设施维护和支持的建筑物。

在这座智能工厂化养殖场中，人工智能和机器人实时监测昆虫生长情况，并自动控制温度、湿度和饲料投喂。该养殖场配备了自动清洁系统和工业烘干机，每年可生产多达1000吨黄粉虫。

在租赁式智能农场中，将培育蛋白质和其他营养成分稳定的昆虫，并供应给工厂化农场。该项目还将鼓励当地年轻农民参与租赁农场计划。

该综合体已在其所有养殖和生产过程中应用了智能危害分析和关键控制点（HACCP）标准。据该部称，这是该国首个基于HACCP的昆虫生产系统，有望增强消费者信心，并为制药和食品公司提供标准化原料。

周二，在江原道春川市一座昆虫产业中心综合体的竣工仪式上，春川市、江原道政府和农林畜产食品部的代表在综合体的一栋建筑前合影留念。（图片由农林畜产食品部提供）

在仪式上，江原道和春川市政府与营养补充剂生产商韩美营养品公司和昆虫食品公司奥妙签署了谅解备忘录，以开发基于资源回收的产业和商业模式。

“此前，食用昆虫的生产都是由各个农场小规模进行的，这使得昆虫原料的标准化和可靠的大宗供应难以保障，”一家参与公司的代表表示，“我们希望新的中心能够解决这些问题。我们还计划推出一系列以昆虫为原料的新产品。”

该综合设施还计划与当地农业配送中心合作，将废弃的卷心菜和其他农业废料转化为昆虫饲料。农业部表示，此举将降低生产和废物处理成本，同时减少碳排放。

“昆虫产业中心将加强农民和企业之间的互利合作，并成为将昆虫产业打造为未来增长新引擎的垫脚石，”农业部食品产业政策司司长郑京锡在仪式上表示。

“农业部将通过各个阶段的商业化支持和监管创新，全力支持昆虫产业的发展。”