The horticultural seed industry in Korea is small but has developed through rapid changes. During the Japanese colonial era, only small seedlings such as radish, cabbage, and Japanese and Chinese crop varieties were introduced. After liberation, horticultural breeding began with the establishment of the first Horticultural Research Institute and Dr. Woo Jang-chun’s activities. Seed companies grew rapidly due to the implementation of new seedling laws and the spread of the first hybrid variety. Through the IMF, multinational companies merged together and merged with domestic seed companies, and domestic seed companies expanded overseas, while there were active startups by professional breeders. Various breeding techniques were used to develop new varieties of vegetables. F₁ hybrid breeding produced hybrids using artificial crosses, self-incompatibility, and male sterility. Haploid breeding techniques using anther culture, microspore culture, and embryo culture were used for chinese cabbage, red pepper, and onion crops. Mutant breeding methods using a diploid breeding technique and mutation using translocation was used for seedless watermelon. New breeding hybrids were cultured through interspesific hybridization, and embryo culture and ovule culture techniques were used to breed interspesific hybrids. Male sterile varieties were raised through protoplast fusion. Recently, molecular markers have been used in all crops for early introduction and purity testing of major traits. In addition, transgenic and genome editing technology has been used to cultivate disease-resistant and physiologically resistant varieties.

Cherry tomato ‘TY Candy’ F₁ Hybrid was bred in Tomato Life Science and Research Institute from 2008 to 2014, which has indeterminate plant type, oblong fruit shape, average fruit weight 17 ~ 22 g and sugar content brix 8 ~ 9. Female line was selected and fixed with vigorous plant, firm fruit texture, Fusarium and Cladosporium resistance. Male line was selected and fixed with medium internode, deep leaf color, high brix, Yellow leaf curl virus and Nematode resistance. F₁ combination was made and pollinated in 2011 year, hybrid selection and sample seed production were progressed in 2012 year, farmers’ field trial was conducted at major tomato cultivation area and resulted good performance in 2013 ~ 2014. The distinctive characteristics of ‘TY Candy’ are higher yield, fruit quality and TYLCV, Nematode, Cladosporium etc. multi-disease resistance compared to existed varieties.

Green pumpkin ‘NongHyup Ae’ F₁ hybrid cultivar was developed by the NH Seed Research & Development Center from 1996 to 1999, which has trailing plant type, oblong fruit shape, short internode length, small leaf. Especially green pumpkin ‘NongHyup Ae’ is high quality and yielding cultivar with firm fruit texture and high femail/male ratio. Female line was developed and fixed with short internode and high female/male ratio. Male line was selected and fixed with firm fruit texture, light green color fruit and oblong H shape fruit. F₁ combination was made and pollinated in 1996 year, hybrid selection and sample seed production were progressed in 1997-1998 year, farmers’ field test was carried out at major green pumpkin cultivation area and resulted in good performance in 1999. Green pumpkin ‘NongHyup Ae’ showed higher yield with high quality than existed varieties.