At a research presentation held on November 17, Gyeonggi-do ARES (Director Jeon Se-chang) announced that researcher Kim Jeong-hwan has successfully developed a new type of kimchi using mushroom variety Pleurotus Eryngii. 

Mr. Kim stated that his project was originally intended to widen the domestic use of mushrooms. After a yearlong joint research initiative with kimchi experts, the team came up with a new technique that mixes and matures sliced and boiled mushrooms with conventional kimchi ingredients over ten days. ARES is considering a technology transfer to the industry. 

At the project unveiling, researcher Ji Jeong-hyeon also introduced 「KME35173」 to the public, a new breed of Agaric mushroom. The new fungus features a dark grey cap of soft texture, and is cultivated in bunches at a temperature of 15~18℃. This particular breed is known to adjust to different farming environments of bottles, plastic bags, and fungoid growth. The breed name will be determined through the “On-job new breed development registration” process in December 2004, and will be offered to selected farms for commercialization.