The 29th 'Farmers' Day' Held... Yoon: "We Will Reform Rural Land Use Regulations"

157 Persons Awarded for Contributions to Agriculture and Rural Development

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held an event on the 11th to celebrate the '29th Farmers' Day,' encouraging the hard work of farmers and boosting their pride. President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his determination to swiftly reform rural land use regulations through a video congratulatory message on the same day.

Song Mi-ryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (sixth from the left), Choo Kyung-ho, Floor Leader of the People Power Party, and others are posing for a commemorative photo at the 29th Farmers' Day event held at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Photo by Yonhap News

On this day, the Ministry held a commemorative ceremony at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Agriculture, Planting Dreams. Connecting the Future" (Subtitle: Agriculture Connecting Hearts, Planting Hope in Rural Areas).

The ceremony was attended by about 450 people, including Song Mi-ryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Choo Kyung-ho, Floor Leader of the People Power Party; Assembly members Jeong Hee-yong, Seo Cheon-ho, Seo Sam-seok, Moon Dae-rim; co-chairmen and members of the event promotion committee; as well as leaders of farmer and consumer organizations.

At the event, an awards ceremony was held to recognize farmers, their families, and those involved in agriculture and food industries who have made significant contributions to the development of agriculture and rural areas, allowing them to feel pride. Specifically, 157 individuals who contributed to the development of agriculture and rural areas were recognized for their achievements, and 20 representatives received government awards in person.

President Yoon sent a video congratulatory message celebrating Farmers' Day. He promised, "We will promptly reform rural land use regulations to enrich the lives of farmers, vigorously support farmers through investments in advanced agriculture development, and establish a Korean-style income management safety net."

This year, the highest honor of Farmers' Day, the Gold Tower Industrial Medal, was awarded to Jeong Yong-dong, CEO of the agricultural corporation Dana Co., Ltd. During his tenure as CEO of Nongwoo Bio, Jeong increased exports of seeds he personally developed through a global localization strategy. Later, after acquiring and operating Dana Co., Ltd., he grew it into a platform company and expanded into overseas markets, contributing to the development of agriculture and the seed industry.

In addition, the Industrial Medal honors were awarded to Yang Yoon-kyung, President of the Korea Successor Agricultural Managers Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Federation (Silver Tower), the late Lee Eun-man, former President of the Korea Agricultural and Livestock Federation (Bronze Tower), Kim Sam-ju, CEO of Dongil Farm (Iron Tower), Moon Eung-sik, CEO of Agricultural Corporation Daesin Horticulture Co., Ltd. (Iron Tower), Cho Young-gi, CEO of Imseokdeul Co., Ltd. (Iron Tower), Moon Guk-dong, CEO of Geumpo Farming Association Corporation (Stone Tower), and Yoo Jang-su, CEO of Dongmak Farming Association Corporation (Stone Tower).

Minister Song said, "We will prepare fundamental structural reform measures to innovate agriculture and reform rural areas within this year, creating a turning point for our agriculture and rural areas to become industries and future spaces loved by both farmers and the public."