Jang Seong-bae Preliminary Candidate "Legislation of Basic Income for Farmers and Fishermen and Introduction of Minimum Price Guarantee System for Agricultural Products Needed"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] Jang Seong-bae, a preliminary candidate for the National Assembly from Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Minsheng Party), announced a pledge to promote the “nationwide implementation and legislation of the Basic Income System for Farmers and Fishermen and the active introduction of a Minimum Price Guarantee System for Agricultural Products” to achieve balanced development between rural and urban areas.

According to Jang Seong-bae’s campaign team on the 26th, the living income in rural areas nationwide is only about 65% of that in cities, and as the income gap between urban and rural areas widens, rural household income was more than 20 million KRW less than that of urban worker households in 2018.

According to the 2019 report “Changes in Farm Household Income and Implications” by the National Assembly Legislative Research Office, the average farm household income increased by 56.5%, from 26.88 million KRW in 2003 to 42.07 million KRW in 2018.

However, during the same period, the income of urban worker households rose by 84.3%, from 35.17 million KRW to 64.82 million KRW. Accordingly, the ratio of farm household income to urban worker household income decreased from 76% in 2003 to 65% last year. This indicates that the income gap between urban and rural areas has widened.

At the same time, as revealed by the Korea Rural Economic Institute in “Agricultural Outlook 2020,” transfer income such as farmers’ allowances and public interest direct payments account for a significant portion of farm household income in Korea. Agricultural income averages 12.95 million KRW per household, while transfer income is similarly structured at 11.44 million KRW. Without farmers’ allowances, rural extinction is expected to accelerate in the future.

Currently, farmers’ allowances, public interest allowances for farmers and fishermen, and basic income systems for farmers are paid annually from 600,000 KRW to 1.2 million KRW to farmers and farm households under different names by provinces, cities, and basic local governments including Suncheon City.

Preliminary candidate Jang Seong-bae emphasized, “The different farmers’ allowances by local governments should be unified and legislated under the Farmers’ Basic Income Act, and the Minimum Price Guarantee System for Agricultural Products should be implemented at the government level.”

Currently, rural areas such as Seomyeon, Woldeung, Hwangjeon, Juam, and Seungju in Suncheon mainly cultivate fruit trees such as persimmons, peaches, pears, chestnuts, and plums, but the prices of agricultural products have plummeted and labor costs have skyrocketed, making profitability nonexistent.

Looking at Jang Seong-bae’s pledge to guarantee basic income for farmers and fishermen and to receive fair prices for agricultural products, it includes ▲ legislation of the Minimum Price Guarantee System for Agricultural Products ▲ legislation of the Basic Income System for Farmers and Fishermen similar to farmers’ allowances ▲ active support for local food systems ▲ opening farmers’ direct sales stores in the metropolitan area to contribute to farmers’ income improvement ▲ active support for experiential rural villages.

Preliminary candidate Jang Seong-bae strongly asserted, “Currently, rural areas face aging populations, widening income gaps between urban and rural areas, price collapses, and rising labor costs, making it impossible to live by farming. The Basic Income System for Farmers must be implemented immediately, and the Minimum Price Guarantee System for Agricultural Products must be expanded.”

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