Ha Sang-o, who developed the world's first persimmon wine, appeared on EBS's 'Seo Jang-hoon's Neighborhood Millionaire' to reveal the persimmon wine production process, the wine tunnel, and the large-scale production site.

Ha completed persimmon wine after three years of research using Cheongdo banshi persimmons, but sales at a famous department store in Seoul fell short of expectations. This prompted him to leave Seoul and build his business based on Cheongdo's natural environment.

The centerpiece of the business is an old railway tunnel. Opened in 1905 and closed in 1937, the tunnel received about 1 billion won in investment to be transformed into a wine-aging space and tourist attraction. Of its total length of 1,100 meters, a 700-meter section is currently in use, and anyone can visit free of charge.

The interior of the tunnel maintains a constant temperature of 14 to 15 degrees even in summer. The walls and ceiling are densely lined with wine bottles left by visitors. Over 20 years, the wine tunnel has recorded a cumulative 5 million visitors, establishing itself as a signature tourist destination in Cheongdo.

The broadcast also revealed Ha's persimmon wine production process. The production facility houses ten 40-ton wine tanks, and the persimmon wine currently aging amounts to 1 million bottles. Ha stated the value of this wine is "at least 25 billion won."

Explaining the aging process, in which sediment settles at the bottom of the tanks while clear wine rises to the top, he said, "We check the taste and condition of both the top and bottom." Asked whether he can judge the degree of aging by eye, he replied, "Of course. That's 30 years of experience." The broadcast also showed him personally cleaning the inside of a 40-ton tank that holds 50,000 bottles of wine.

Seo Jang-hoon and Jang Ye-won visited Ha's wine tunnel and tasted a '2005 vintage' persimmon wine. Seo began by saying, "It's hard to imagine wine made from persimmons," but after tasting it, he evaluated it as "sweet with an attractive aroma." Jang Ye-won could not hide her admiration, saying, "It's a taste I've experienced for the first time in my life."

Regarding the tunnel's cool environment, Seo said, "It seems like a good place to visit in summer with the idea of escaping the heat."