Introduction

The Department of Plant Variety Protection(PVP) is composed of the Variety Examination Division, the Examination Supporting Division and the Variety Test Division. To make the plant variety protection system enforced in March 2008 settle down earlier, to provide and promote an effective system of plant variety protection with the aim of encouraging the development of new varieties of plants, we are pursuing these major tasks.

• Filling and Examination of plant variety protection applications
• DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability) test of applied varieties
• Collection and conservation of example varieties and granted varieties
• Enhancing the variety examination system through international cooperation(UPOV)
• Special test such as DNA marker or chemical analysis
• Establishing an information system for the forest plant variety protection
• Consultative services for breeders
• Support of breeding activities by the individual breeders

Plant Variety Protection system in the Republic of Korea

For the breeder’s right, UPOV has been established by the International Convention of the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (the "UPOV Convention"), which was adopted in Paris in 1961. The Republic of Korea joined the convention as the 50th member in 2002.

In the forest plant variety protection, 15 varieties(including Castanea crenata Siebold & Zucc., Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler, Artemisia princes etc.) have been entitled in 2008 and all forest varieties except Rubus coreanus Miq.(will be entitled until 2012) are entitled in May 1, 2009.
※ About 7400 varieties including vascular plant, bryophyte and mushrooms are protected by the Korea Forest Seed & Variety Center (Korea Forest Service).

The list of plant genera and species entitled to forest plant variety protection