National Assembly Judiciary Committee Passes Amendments to "Four Agricultural Laws" Including Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Measures and Insurance Acts

Passed by Bipartisan Agreement at the Plenary Session on the 22nd

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a plenary session on the 22nd and passed, by bipartisan agreement, the so-called "Four Agricultural Laws"?the amendments to the Act on Measures for Agricultural and Fishery Disasters and the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Insurance Act?which had previously been vetoed during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

The plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee held on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News

The amendment to the Act on Measures for Agricultural and Fishery Disasters aims to establish and implement a basic plan for agricultural and fishery disaster measures every five years. The core of the amendment to the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Insurance Act is to include damages from pests and diseases as eligible for agricultural and fishery disaster compensation. It also stipulates that natural disaster damages specified by presidential decree will not be subject to additional premium rates when calculating insurance premiums.

These bills are scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly plenary session on the 23rd. The Democratic Party of Korea and the government plan to process not only these bills but also the Grain Management Act and the Act on the Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products?all four agricultural laws?during the extraordinary session of the National Assembly to be held in July. Previously, former Acting President and Prime Minister Han Ducksoo exercised the veto power over the four agricultural laws in December of last year.

Meanwhile, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee also processed an amendment on this day that changes the legal status of digital textbooks, including those using artificial intelligence (AI), from "textbooks" to "educational materials." The bill clearly defines the definition and scope of textbooks by law and establishes a new category for educational materials. If this bill passes the National Assembly, AI textbooks will be designated as educational materials to be used by school principals after deliberation by the school management committee.