In Soeun-ri, Oenam-myeon, Sangju, ‘the first persimmon tree under the sky’ still produces 5,000 dried persimmons every year, with the orange-colored fruit dangling from the branches in autumn. It was said to be 750 years according to local legend, but an evaluation by the National Institute of Forest Science in 2009 confirmed that the tree is the oldest grafted tree in Korea at 530 years.

The propagation of persimmon trees is mainly done by cutting off branches of persimmon trees and grafting them to lotus persimmon trees, rather than by using seeds.
Persimmon trees propagated by seed produce low-quality persimmons, so grafting, a method of asexual propagation, is used to maintain excellent characteristics.
The lotus permission tree is resistant to cold and has sturdy roots, so it is commonly used as a rootstock for grafting. The results of comparing genetic material from the leaves and roots of the persimmon tree in Soeun-ri with the DNA from other persimmon trees and lotus persimmon trees shows that the DNA from the leaves of the tree in Soeun-ri are an exact match with the DNA from the leaves of other persimmon trees, and the DNA from the roots of this tree are identical with the DNA from the leaves of other lotus persimmon trees.

As a result, the oldest grafted tree in Korea was changed from an 81-year-old apple tree in Pyeonggwang-dong, Daegu, to the 530-year-old Soeun-ri persimmon tree. Along with the 590-year history of pear tree grafting, persimmon tree grafting has proved to have a long history.
In addition to the ‘first persimmon tree under the sky,’ many persimmon trees that have been cultivated for a long time are distributed throughout Sangju area, and according to statements from residents, there is no place without persimmon trees.
Even now, there are many persimmon trees over 200 years old, and among the 27 protected persimmon trees nationwide, Gyeongbuk has the most with 18, and among these, 17 are located in Sangju, and most of them are 200 to 300 years old.

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