"Rice Management Act, Lease 3 Laws, and Public Officials Corruption Investigation Unit Act Must Not Follow the Same Path"

Joo Ho-young "Agricultural Foundation Itself Is Collapsing"
Song Eon-seok "Market Order Disrupted, Difficult Situation"

The People Power Party intensified pressure on the Democratic Party of Korea, which is pushing for the direct referral of the 'Grain Management Act,' saying, "The Democratic Party should not follow in the footsteps of the failed Lease 3 Acts, Election Law, and Corruption Investigation Office Act, which were forced through by power." The Democratic Party intends to pass the Grain Management Act at the plenary session on the 24th or 27th, but with the ruling party opposing it, its passage is expected to face difficulties.

On the 24th, at a party floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, opposed the Grain Management Act, stating, "It only encourages overproduction, and if rice is compulsorily purchased, the agricultural foundation itself will collapse."

The Grain Management Act is a revision bill that mandates government isolation of the rice market, which was unilaterally approved by the opposition party at the full meeting of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee on December 28 last year to be directly referred to the plenary session. On the 30th of last month, the revised Grain Management Act was submitted to the National Assembly plenary session amid the walkout of ruling party lawmakers.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, is attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The original revision bill stipulated that the government must compulsorily purchase rice if the excess production exceeds 3% of rice demand or if the rice price falls by more than 5% compared to the previous year. However, the Democratic Party announced that it would submit a revised bill reflecting the mediation proposal of National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo to the plenary session. The revised bill further reflected the intention to grant discretion by allowing the government to choose within a range of 3-5% for excess production above 3%, and within 5-8% for excess production above 5%.

Floor leader Joo pointed out, "The Democratic Party initially proposed 3% and 5%, but realizing it was excessive, they revised it to 5% and 8% and proceeded. Isolation should be done according to market conditions, but if compulsory purchase is made just because overproduction exceeds a certain percentage, market functions will be destroyed and many farmers will follow suit. You cannot put all the money into rice farming alone," he said.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Song Eon-seok, deputy floor leader, told reporters after the meeting, "Although the National Assembly Speaker offered a mediation opinion regarding the Grain Management Act, fundamentally it has not changed much from the original bill," adding, "Except for broadening the cultivation area and price fluctuation range, nothing has changed. We need to implement measures to reduce production in the state of rice surplus, but making a bill that inevitably increases rice production goes against market order, so we are opposed."

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