Democrats Oppose Prime Minister Han's Veto Recommendation on Grain Act: "Giving Up on People's Livelihood Issues"

Veto Exercise Assumed "Can Pass with Two-Thirds, Will Reattempt"

The Democratic Party of Korea criticized Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the 29th for recommending President Yoon Seok-yeol to exercise his veto power regarding the Grain Management Act passed by the National Assembly plenary session, saying he "gave up on the people's livelihood issues."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Oh Young-hwan, the party's floor spokesperson, said at a National Assembly briefing that day, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration trampled on even the minimal hope that farmers would not give up rice farming next year," adding, "They ignored the demand for the right to live and further declared that they would abandon the nation's food security." He then warned, "If President Yoon ultimately rejects the voice of the people, he will remain an irresponsible president who has abandoned his fundamental duties."

Democratic Party members of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee also opposed the move. At a press conference, the Democratic Party members of the committee stated, "The government's and ruling party's claim that mandating rice market isolation will increase rice cultivation area and production is a clear falsehood," and countered, "According to the amendment, more than 40,000 hectares of rice cultivation area will be converted to other crops annually."

The Grain Management Act includes not only mandatory purchase of surplus production but also provisions to convert rice farming to other crops and strategic crops, so the logic is that rice production will not significantly increase even if the law is implemented. They emphasized, "Minister Jeong Hwang-geun of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recommending the exercise of the presidential veto is a very irresponsible act," and strongly urged, "We strongly demand the immediate dismissal of Minister Jeong."

Democratic Party members of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee declared that they would re-push the law even if President Yoon exercises his veto. After the press conference, Representative Wi Seong-gon told reporters, "If more than two-thirds of the attending members approve, the bill vetoed can be passed again," adding, "We will push it again."