92% of Gyeongbuk Agricultural Machinery Remain Uninsured... Sunha Park of Gyeongbuk Council Says "Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs and Expand Insurance Enrollment"

Sunha Park, proportional representative of the People Power Party and member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, raised concerns about the effectiveness of the “Comprehensive Agricultural Machinery Insurance Premium Support Program” under the Department of Agricultural and Livestock Distribution during the 6th meeting of the Special Budget and Accounts Committee at the 359th regular session held on December 16. She called for structural improvements to expand enrollment in the program while reviewing the 4th supplementary budget proposal for North Gyeongsang Province for 2025.

This program provides financial support for comprehensive insurance premiums for major agricultural machinery that is prone to accidents during farm work, including cultivators, tractors, combines, SS sprayers, power tillers, rice transplanters, aerial and wide-area sprayers, balers, agricultural excavators, power carriers, agricultural loaders, aerial work platforms for agriculture, and agricultural lifts.

Sunha Park, Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Member

For 2025, the program has a budget of 7.5 billion won, with 50% coming from the national government, 6% from the provincial government, and 14% from city and county governments, covering a total of 70% of the insurance premiums.

However, due to a shortage of the original budget during execution, the execution rate had already reached 100% as of the end of November. As a result, an additional 30 million won was allocated through this 4th supplementary budget (settlement budget adjustment).

Regarding this, Assemblywoman Park pointed out, “Although the budget has been fully executed, the more fundamental issue is that the insurance enrollment rate for agricultural machinery in the province is only 7.25%. This means that 92.75% of agricultural machinery in the province remains outside the scope of insurance coverage.”

She further emphasized, “While the number of insured units has increased compared to the previous year, North Gyeongsang Province still ranks second nationwide in the number of agricultural machinery accidents. The risk of accidents is high, yet insurance enrollment remains extremely limited, resulting in a structurally entrenched imbalance.”

She continued, “Although the current system supports 70% of the total insurance premium, the required out-of-pocket payment can be a tangible burden for small-scale or elderly farmers. Regardless of the amount, it is necessary to examine whether there are institutional factors that discourage enrollment.”

She also noted, “North Gyeongsang Province has a high proportion of elderly farmers, and agricultural machinery accidents pose a realistic threat that can immediately endanger livelihoods, not just cause minor injuries. Therefore, active consideration should be given to measures that reduce the out-of-pocket burden, especially for small-scale farms and elderly farmers.”

Assemblywoman Sunha Park concluded, “Comprehensive agricultural machinery insurance is not just a subsidy program but a core safety net that protects the lives and livelihoods of farmers. We must go beyond budget execution and pursue practical expansion of enrollment and tangible benefits in the field by strengthening outreach and considering institutional improvements.”