Democratic Party Agriculture Committee Emphasizes
Food Security and Quarantine Sovereignty
Members of the Democratic Party of Korea belonging to the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee expressed their appreciation to the government negotiation team on July 31, stating, "We welcome the outcome of the Korea-US trade negotiations, which has protected the safety of the nation's food and food security."
Members of the Democratic Party belonging to the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee on the 31st welcomed the conclusion of the Korea-US trade negotiations, stating, "We welcome the negotiation results that have protected the safety of the people's food and food security," and expressed gratitude for the efforts of the government negotiation team.
On this day, the committee members held a joint press conference, saying, "The desperate demands of farmers from all over the country, who cried out 'Do not sacrifice agriculture' even in the deadly heat wave, became a great force in the negotiations." They added, "We applaud President Lee Jaemyung and the government negotiation team for their efforts to block the strong pressure from the United States to further open the agricultural and livestock markets, including rice and beef."
They explained that, during the negotiation process, they held multiple meetings with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Office of Trade Negotiations, continuously emphasizing that "further market opening for agricultural and livestock products is absolutely unacceptable, and in particular, expanding imports of rice and beef over 30 months of age is directly linked to food sovereignty and quarantine sovereignty."
The committee members stressed, "This negotiation has once again confirmed that agriculture is a core foundation of national security and a value directly connected to the survival of the people," adding, "We can no longer tolerate using agriculture as a bargaining chip in negotiations."
They continued, "Although the Korea-US trade negotiations have been concluded in broad terms, follow-up discussions such as improvements in quarantine procedures are expected to continue," and stated, "Quarantine is a matter of science and a core aspect of national sovereignty that protects public health and food security."
They warned, "We will never allow attempts to open up agriculture through the relaxation of quarantine standards in the name of national interest or through the backdoor of negotiations."
The lawmakers stated, "The Lee Jaemyung administration and the Democratic Party of Korea will never forget the sweat and sacrifices of farmers that enabled Korea to become one of the world's top ten economies," and added, "We will foster agriculture as a national strategic industry and develop it into a sustainable industry that responds to the climate crisis."
Finally, they said, "We will continue to monitor the trade negotiation process to ensure that agriculture, rural communities, and farmers are not further sacrificed," and added, "We will spare no policy support so that the dedication of farmers is properly rewarded and food sovereignty is substantially strengthened."
He reaffirmed that it is a value directly linked to the survival of the people and emphasized, "Using agriculture as a bargaining chip can no longer be tolerated."
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