A wild bean evolved into a semi-domesticated species of soybean was cultivated from more than 6,000 years ago and a Korean subspecies of soybean began to be planted from 4,500 odd years ago in Korea.

A semi-domesticated species of soybean distributed only in Korea and some other areas was founded in Juche 61 (1972) and researches by scholars proved that it was evolved from a wild bean over 6,000 years ago.

It has been scientifically confirmed that domesticated soybean today was derived from it. Hence it has been proved that the home of soybean is Korea and some areas around it where Koreans lived.

From the biological point of view, there are more than 40 species of bean (Glycine in scientific name) but most of them are wild plants and afore-said soybean is the only one actually cultivated today.

This soybean species was divided into several subspecies and varieties to be disseminated worldwide through China and Japan.

There are four subspecies of soybean in the world now. Among them, the Korean subspecies is yellow and big more than the other subspecies and its stalk grows straight.

This means that the evolutionary history of the Korean subspecies is the longest and Korea is the home of soybean.

The discovery of burnt soybeans in the Odong remains in Hoeryong City, North Hamgyong Province, and the Namgyong remains in Samsok District, Pyongyang, tells us that soybean was grown as one of the normal crops and used in dietary life in all parts of Korea already from thousands of years ago.

Being the first cultivator of soybean, Korea led the van in developing soybean food and its processing technique, which found their way to many countries worldwide. Now they run into hundreds of kinds.