"Agriculture Must Be a Protected Industry...
No Further Opening of Rice and Beef Markets"
The Jeonnam Provincial Council has expressed strong opposition to concerns that the agricultural sector could once again become a scapegoat in the recently resumed Korea-US trade negotiations.
On the morning of July 17, the council held a press conference in the briefing room of the Jeonnam Provincial Government and issued a statement strongly urging the government, "Do not use agriculture as a bargaining chip; instead, designate it as a protected industry and reflect this in trade policy."
Jeonnam Provincial Council issued a statement urging an end to sacrifices in the agricultural sector during the Korea-US trade negotiations. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Council
This statement was issued in response to remarks made by Trade Negotiations Head Yeo Han-koo of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on July 14, who said, "There has never been a time when the agricultural sector was not under strain during trade negotiations," and, "Agricultural products must be considered strategically." Following these remarks, backlash has been growing among nationwide farmers' organizations and political circles.
Kim Moonsoo, Chair of the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee of the Jeonnam Provincial Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Shinan 1), stated at the press conference, "The reality of our agriculture today faces a crisis more severe than any other industry," and added, "In particular, while international grain prices have soared, driving up feed costs to unprecedented levels, the price of Korean beef at the farm gate has paradoxically declined. In this distorted structure, the United States is demanding the easing of import restrictions on beef over 30 months of age, further opening of the rice market, and the simplification of approvals for living modified organisms (LMOs)."
He further pointed out, "It is difficult to understand why the government is responding passively to such unreasonable demands, especially when Korea is already a major importer of American agricultural and livestock products and the United States is reaping enormous profits as a result."
Chair Kim urged, "The government must immediately stop using agriculture as a bargaining chip, clearly designate agriculture as a protected industry, and reflect this in its trade strategy. The pattern of unilateral concessions that has been repeated in past FTAs must be completely abandoned, and in the current negotiations, agriculture must be excluded from the agenda."
He also added, "The repeated sacrifice of agriculture has been caused by the government's passive response and lack of principled negotiation. At least in these negotiations, the cries of farmers must not be ignored."
Through the statement issued that day, the Jeonnam Provincial Council also called for the establishment of a system that would allow the opinions of the agricultural sector to be effectively reflected in policy.
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