President Lee Jae-myung on the 6th outlined plans to expand the income safety net for farming and fishing villages, saying he hopes income support for rural areas will not be seen as "giveaways or a waste of public money." Analysts said the move appears aimed at placating farmers after growing pushback against a recent comprehensive survey of farmland.
Speaking at the 43rd Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House, Lee said the government would increase the Rural Cooperation Fund to more than 1 trillion won ($700 million). "About 325.5 billion won has been accumulated in the fund so far, and that is not enough," he said. "Because contributions are voluntary rather than mandatory, it seems the fund has not worked properly."
He said the government would commit 200 billion won in next year's budget and add 500 billion won later to build the fund beyond 1 trillion won. "This is meant to support farming and fishing communities, but it could also serve as a useful device to prevent regional extinction and ease the dominance of the capital region," he added.
Lee pointed in particular to a loss of confidence in the government. "The government created various mechanisms to compensate farmers for losses when it signed free trade agreements, but they did not work properly, so distrust of the government among farmers and fishermen is very high," he said. "Market expansion must continue going forward, and there will inevitably be sectors that benefit and sectors that suffer. Appropriate support must flow from the sectors that gain to those that lose." He described the fund as "a very small step toward restoring trust in the government."
"Every sector must grow together. A person is not healthy just because the heart is large," he said. "The capillaries must also be strong. The government will pool its efforts for balanced development."
Lee also said rural communities had not been adequately compensated for the sacrifices they made during industrialization, export-led growth and market opening. "Since this administration took office, we have pursued measures such as revising the Grain Management Act to stabilize rice prices and introducing a basic income for farming and fishing communities, but much remains insufficient," he said. "Opening wider markets is an unavoidable destiny for sustained economic growth and national development, but we cannot continue to leave the resulting burden concentrated in particular sectors and particular regions."
He added that the government would move faster to expand essential living services in farming and fishing areas. "The government will pool all its strength so that farming and fishing communities, which can be called the roots of our society, can enjoy the benefits of healthy and balanced development," he said.
