"Immediate Enforcement of Grain Management Act"... Minjoo's Bald Head Protest to Pressure Yoon (Comprehensive)

Shaving Head to Block Yoon's Veto
Held Protest Rally with Agricultural Representatives
Low Possibility of Reconsideration if Veto Exercised

The Democratic Party has launched a full-scale offensive as President Yoon Seok-yeol is widely expected to exercise his veto power over the amendment to the Grain Management Act, which was passed by the opposition-led National Assembly. They are pressuring the government and ruling party through actions including head-shaving protests, condemnation rallies, visits to the presidential office to lodge complaints, and nationwide signature campaigns by farmers. They are determined to enforce the Grain Management Act through additional legislation in response to President Yoon's veto.

Opposition: "Instead of exercising veto, Yoon should immediately promulgate"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the on-site Supreme Council meeting in Jeju on the morning of the 3rd, "President Yoon Seok-yeol is viewing the Grain Management Act not as legislation for farmers and people's livelihood, but solely as a means of confrontation with the opposition," and criticized, "If the president had once considered the desperate feelings of farmers, he would never do this." He added, "What President Yoon should do is not to exercise the veto on the Grain Management Act but to immediately promulgate it."

On the same day, the Democratic Party held a full meeting of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee at the National Assembly to question the amendment to the Grain Management Act. Opposition members of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee expressed that the ruling party's claim for veto lacked grounds. Kim Seung-nam, chairman of the committee, said, "(The Prime Minister) reported to President Yoon Seok-yeol that a national research institute had misanalyzed the situation," adding, "They distorted the report to the president and the minister in charge, Jeon Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, claiming that if the Grain Management Act is implemented, the rice surplus structure will worsen, with excess production reaching 630,000 tons by 2030, requiring a massive national budget of 1.4 trillion won." This was pointed out by Democratic Party lawmakers as an analysis of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee's alternative bill that was pending in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the time.

Democratic Party lawmaker Joo Cheol-hyun also called the Prime Minister's public statement "a blatant lie," arguing, "The amendment passed by the National Assembly does not require the government to purchase surplus rice unconditionally or permanently. The surplus must exceed the standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs within a range of 3% to 5% of the expected production, and at the same time, there must be a sharp decline in rice production (expected)." Minister Jeon was absent from the full meeting that day. Chairman Kim criticized, "There was no notification of absence to either the chairman or me."

In response, ruling party members of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee issued a statement denying that they held the committee meeting unilaterally. They said, "They ignored the National Assembly Act, which requires consultation with the committee secretaries regarding the schedule and opening time of the committee, and submitted a unilateral request to open the committee without any consultation with the ruling party secretary," adding, "Despite this, they ignored everything and suddenly proposed to open the committee for questioning related to the Grain Management Act. This can only be seen as a politically motivated attempt to stir up public sentiment with provocative agitation as the president's position on the Grain Management Act approaches."

Democrats launch full-scale offensive from head-shaving to signature campaigns

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the same day, the Democratic Party held a condemnation rally against the president's veto with farmer representatives in attendance. Notably, Shin Jeong-hoon, head of the Democratic Party's Rice Price Normalization Task Force, Lee Won-taek, a member of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee, and four farmer representatives shaved their heads. Previously, Yoon Jae-gap, chairman of the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee and member of the Democratic Party, had shaved his head at a condemnation rally against the humiliating diplomacy of importing Fukushima seafood held at the National Assembly the day before.

Democratic Party lawmakers and farmer representatives gathered in front of the National Assembly main building holding placards reading "Guarantee farm income, immediately promulgate the Rice Price Normalization Act," urging the promulgation of the amendment. They pressured, "Immediately promulgate the Rice Price Normalization Act at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting," and warned, "If President Yoon insists on exercising his veto, we sternly warn that we will firmly fight against the Yoon administration together with 2.3 million farmers to protect rice prices normalization and food security."

The Rice Price Normalization Task Force and the Democratic Party's National Committee for Farmers and Fishermen are organizing a "10,000 farmers signature campaign" involving farmers on site. The task force also plans to visit the Yongsan Presidential Office to lodge a protest with farmers this week. In a phone interview with this paper, Representative Shin said, "The government cites opposition from farmer organizations as the basis for opposing the amendment to the Grain Management Act, but no farmers on site oppose it," explaining, "The purpose is for farmers to come up and raise their voices directly." He said, "We will clearly state our party's firm position on the president's veto expected at tomorrow's Cabinet meeting," and added, "If the veto is exercised, we will continue related legislation."

If the president exercises the veto and requests reconsideration of the bill to the National Assembly, the Assembly must have a quorum of more than half of all members and a two-thirds majority of those present to override the veto. Since all 299 members would need to secure about 200 votes, it is pointed out that realistically, the amendment to the Grain Management Act is unlikely to be passed. A Democratic Party floor official said, "If the president exercises the veto, the possibility of overriding it is not high," and explained, "Until today (the 3rd) and tomorrow (the 4th), we have no choice but to try our best to prevent the veto from being exercised."

The Democratic Party plans to focus on questioning the president's veto and government measures regarding the amendment to the Grain Management Act during the National Assembly's government questioning session on economic affairs scheduled for the 4th.

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