POPPY FLOWERS IN FULL BLOOM

[Anchor Lead]

A hundred million poppy flowers are in full bloom in Hadong-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, creating a fascinating sight. With social distancing rules eased, tourists travel down to the southern region to savor the colorful scenes of the spring.

[Pkg]

A vast field measuring 200,000 sqaure meters is covered in red. Yellow canola blossoms and dazzling white baby’s breath flower add to the scenery. With COVID-19 rules eased, tourists came out of the protracted socially distanced life and traveled down to this southern region. They are busy taking photos and building good memories against the backdrop of the beautiful poppy flowers.

[Soundbite] Kim Joo-hee(Jinju Resident) : "I mainly stayed at home and rarely went out. It was boring and monotonous. But out here in this vast field, I feel refreshed seeing lots of flowers."

The field of a hundred million poppy flowers is the result of local residents’ hard work. Nine years ago, they began planting poppy flowers, instead of rice, as a new source to boost the local economy. Over the past decade, it has become a well-known destination attracting more than 100,000 tourists. Planted last October, this year’s flowers boast distinctly vivid colors thanks to a large daily temperature gap in the spring.

[Soundbite] Kim Yong-soo(Hadong-gun County Bukcheon Farmers’ Cooperative) : "Weather conditions and precipitation frequency determine the quality of flowers. Flowers are clearly vivid in color this year thanks to the rainfall in the early stage."

The Hadong poppy flower festival, held for the first time in three years, will run until this Sunday, featuring a variety of events.