▲ Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung talks with an official during a parliamentary audit by the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee at the National Assembly on the 7th.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung stated today (the 7th) that she will "look into" an alternative plan to focus the government's ongoing comprehensive farmland inspection primarily on non-cultivated farmland and speculative land in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Minister Song made the remarks in response to a related inquiry by lawmaker Lee Gae-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea during the ministry's parliamentary audit held by the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee.
In addition, when lawmaker Cho Seung-hwan of the People Power Party suggested, "We should announce the suspension of the comprehensive inspection even now and first establish follow-up measures such as the Farmland Act or a special measure act so farmers can feel secure, and investigating to build farmland data afterwards is not too late," Minister Song replied, "The lawmaker's point also makes sense."
She added, "When wrapping up the basic survey in July, I made remarks with the same intent as what the lawmaker mentioned."
During the parliamentary audit that day, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties rebuked that the comprehensive farmland inspection was pushed forward without sufficient consultation and policy deliberation, heightening anxiety in rural communities and social confusion.
The National Assembly Research Service also published a research report the previous day titled "Comprehensive Farmland Inspection: What Was Missed Due to Haste."
Minister Song acknowledged, "We should have looked into it more carefully, and there are parts where we failed to do so."
Asked about plans to gradually expand the basic income project for rural and fishing communities to determine whether to implement it nationwide, Minister Song answered, "We are not considering that yet," adding, "We will judge after reviewing the pilot project until next year."
The rural basic income project is a system that provides 150,000 won per month in local love gift certificates to all actual residents living in selected areas. Pilot projects are currently underway in 17 out of 69 counties nationwide designated as population-declining regions.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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