A 280,000 Won Watermelon

“Is it a pumpkin or watermelon?” Lotte Department Store in Seoul unveiled the Mudeungsan watermelons (watermelons harvested on Mt. Mudeung), each weighing from 14 to 19 kilograms, at the fruit section of the first floor of the basement on August 16. These watermelons are about three times larger than the usual ones. The seeds of these watermelons had been planted in a one-meter deep hole in the ground during the spring, and when the fruits were forming, only the best one was left while the others were pruned away. The price is from 170,000 won to 280,000 won.

kjh@donga.com