Election for NongHyup Central Association President D-1 in Uncertainty... The Vote of Losing Candidates Will Decide

Unprecedented Competition with a Record 10 Candidates

Possibility of Dramatic Unification on Election Day

No Majority Vote in the First Round

Votes from Losing Candidates Could Flip the Outcome

On the 14th, employees are shouting slogans for fair election practice at the executive training and resolution meeting held at the NongHyup Central Association headquarters in Seoul. The election to select the 24th president of the NongHyup Central Association is scheduled to take place on the 31st. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] The election for the President of the NongHyup Central Association, representing 2.3 million farmers, is just one day away. Among the 10 candidates who declared their candidacy, none have expressed intentions to withdraw, making it difficult to predict a frontrunner even at the final stage of the election. There is also a possibility of candidate unification occurring right before the election day. If all 10 candidates proceed to the first round of voting, the likelihood of a candidate securing a majority vote is low, making the distribution of votes from losing candidates a key point to watch in this election.

According to the NongHyup Central Association on the 30th, the election will begin at 10:30 AM on the 31st. After the 292 delegates attending the assembly hear the candidates’ statements, the first round of voting will immediately commence. If no winner is decided in the first round, a runoff vote will be held between the top two candidates to determine the winner.

Unlike past elections where five candidates competed, this time 10 candidates have declared their candidacy. As of the day before the election, no candidate has unified or announced withdrawal, making this the election with the most candidates since the NongHyup presidency became an elected position in 1988. A representative from the Central Election Management Committee stated, "So far, no candidate has announced withdrawal due to unification or other reasons."

Compared to the past, the number of candidates is larger, and since no unification has occurred among regional candidates, it is expected to be difficult for any candidate to secure a majority in the first round. Historically, the NongHyup Central Association presidential elections usually had five candidates, and even then, no candidate won outright in the first round. This makes it hard to predict who is likely to win. Moreover, if regional candidates do not unify, the number of delegates by region becomes meaningless.

A NongHyup Central Association official said, "All 10 candidates are running until the day before the election, so it is impossible to guess who will win," adding, "Whether a dramatic unification occurs on election day is the key point to watch in this election."

If unification among candidates does not happen, the votes cast for losing candidates in the first round will likely determine the election outcome by shifting to other candidates. Former NongHyup Central Association President Kim Byung-won also ranked second in the first round of the 2016 election but overturned the result in the runoff to win. It was interpreted that absorbing the votes of third-place candidate Choi Deok-gyu was the key to his victory. Which candidates the losing candidates support in the second round is expected to have a significant impact on the election dynamics.

The fierce competition with 10 candidates is due to the powers held by the NongHyup Central Association President. Although the president serves a single four-year term in a non-full-time honorary position, they hold authority over personnel appointments, budget, and audits of subsidiaries under the NongHyup Central Association, exercising strong influence over agricultural economics and financial operations. Representing 2.3 million farmers and overseeing about 100,000 employees including those in subsidiaries and regional agricultural cooperatives, the position also provides a strong political support base.

A symbolic example of the president’s power is former President Kim Byung-won. Kim resigned early last December to run for the 21st National Assembly election in April this year for the Jeonnam Naju-Hwasun district. Born in Naju, Kim served as the head of Nampyeong NongHyup for 13 years starting in 1999. He was noted as the first president of the NongHyup Central Association from the Honam region.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.