"Immediately Halt Consideration of American Apple Imports"...Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Issues Statement

Gyeongbuk Accounts for 62% of National Apple Production
18,000 Farms in Cheongsong, Andong, and Other Areas

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council issued a statement on July 9, urging the government to immediately halt its push to import American apples, which is currently being considered as a negotiation card in the Korea-U.S. mutual tariff talks.

According to media reports, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has reportedly instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to proactively review the import of American apples as a bargaining chip in Korea-U.S. trade negotiations. In response, there has been a surge of strong concern and backlash from local fruit farmers, particularly from the Gyeongbuk Apple Main Production Area Mayors and County Governors Association and various producer organizations.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Council

Gyeongbuk Province is the largest apple-producing region in the country, accounting for 62% of the national apple production. Centered around Cheongsong, Yeongju, and Andong, approximately 18,000 farms in the province cultivate 19,000 hectares of apples. In terms of total production value, the province is also dominant, accounting for 824.7 billion won (60%) out of the national total of 1.3769 trillion won, thus playing an absolutely crucial role in the national apple industry.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, in a statement issued under the name of Vice Chair Choi Byungjun (acting chair), expressed strong concern, stating, "If the import of American apples becomes a reality, not only apple producers in the province but the entire domestic fruit industry will suffer irreparable damage."

The council further criticized, "This is an act of pushing local fruit farmers, who have already been driven to the edge by recent massive wildfires, aging populations, abnormal weather, and rising production costs, over the cliff."

Shin Hyogwang (Cheongsong), chair of the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee, who led the council's swift response, emphasized, "Farmers must no longer be sacrificed for trade negotiations," and urged, "The government must immediately stop considering the import of American apples and promptly clarify its responsible position."