Lobbying Allegations Arise Amid Continued Controversy Over Re-election Law for NongHyup Central Association President...

Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee Plenary Meeting
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The Agricultural Cooperative Act allowing the reappointment of the NongHyup Central Association president was passed at the full meeting of the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, sparking ongoing controversy. Unusually, opposition voices continue regardless of party affiliation even after its passage.

On the 11th, the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee approved the "Amendment to the Agricultural Cooperative Act" at a full meeting. The amendment centers on allowing the NongHyup Central Association president to serve consecutive terms. Currently, the NongHyup Central Association president cannot serve consecutive terms, but the amendment permits one reappointment. The problem is that there is no provision limiting reappointment to presidents elected after the law’s enforcement, meaning the current president, Lee Seong-hee, can also be reappointed. Because of this, criticism calling it a "self-reappointment law" has been ongoing since last year.

Assemblyman Ahn Byung-gil of the People Power Party presented the "Five Major Objections to the NongHyup Central Association President’s Self-Reappointment Law," stating, "There has never been a case where opinions were divided between ruling and opposition parties regarding laws on heads of supervised institutions," and added, "We have serious concerns about the National Assembly exercising such exceptional and unprecedented legislative power solely for the NongHyup Central Association president." He further criticized, "Applying the reappointment system retroactively to the current president is a clear special privilege," and warned, "If this reappointment law passes as is, it will grant special privileges only to the incumbent president and leave a significant stain on the legislature’s fairness and equity."

Assemblyman Shin Jeong-hoon of the Democratic Party also criticized, saying, "I don’t understand why strengthening vested interests is so urgent and important when many farmers are struggling due to the plummeting rice prices," and added, "I cannot understand how the law allowing the reappointment of the NongHyup Central Association president, which had been stigmatized as chronic corruption, could pass under the name of reforming NongHyup."

Lobbying allegations have also been raised. Assemblyman Yoon Joon-byung of the Democratic Party stated on his Facebook, "There are whistleblower reports indicating traces of lobbying for self-reappointment everywhere," and revealed, "From my experience, there were attempts at lobbying by the NongHyup Central Association." He emphasized, "Considering the corruption and misconduct issues of past NongHyup Central Association presidents were linked to long-term rule through reappointment, the Agricultural Cooperative Act was amended in 2009 to a single-term system. Trying to revert to a reappointment system without properly implementing the single-term system even once is not a simple transition but a highly inappropriate legislation allowing the current president’s self-reappointment."

Meanwhile, the amendment to the Agricultural Cooperative Act passed by the standing committee still requires approval from the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session. The amendment also includes a provision limiting the reappointment of NongHyup non-standing cooperative heads, who previously could serve unlimited consecutive terms, to a maximum of two terms.

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