Moon Geumju's Amendments to Grain Act and Agricultural and Fishery Products Act Pass National Assembly Plenary Session

"Completion of the Four Major Agricultural Laws... A Turning Point in Agricultural Policy Reform"
"Committed to Legislation and Policy That Farmers Can Truly Feel"

Moon Geumju, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

The Grain Management Act (hereinafter referred to as the Grain Act) and the Act on Distribution and Price Stabilization of Agricultural and Fishery Products (hereinafter referred to as the Agricultural and Fishery Products Act), both proposed by Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Geumju (representing Goheung, Boseong, Jangheung, and Gangjin in South Jeolla Province), passed the National Assembly plenary session on August 4, 2025.

As a result, following the passage last month of the amendments to the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act and the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Insurance Act, an institutional foundation has now been established to support the safety and sustainability of agriculture. Representative Moon stated, "The so-called 'Four Major Agricultural Laws,' which form the core framework of Korea's agricultural policy, have finally been completed at this historic turning point."

Until now, the recurring issues of rice overproduction and drastic price drops have persisted, but the government's supply and demand adjustments have been implemented arbitrarily without legal standards, leading to structural problems such as a lack of consistency and predictability.

To address this, the latest amendment to the Grain Act, proposed by Representative Moon, mandates that the government must implement supply and demand control measures?such as market isolation or public rice stockpiling?when there is an imbalance in the rice supply. In particular, it clearly stipulates the state's responsibility for rice supply stability, including: mandatory government purchase in cases of rice oversupply, and providing incentives to farms cultivating alternative crops at a level equal to or higher than rice income.

Representative Moon emphasized, "Rice is not just an agricultural product, but the core of national food sovereignty," and added, "The amendment to the Grain Act is the minimum safeguard that allows farmers to plan their own lives and enables the government to carry out responsible agricultural policy."

The amendment to the Agricultural and Fishery Products Act, which also passed the plenary session on this day, contains provisions that can dramatically enhance the fairness and transparency of agricultural and fishery product distribution. The amendment includes: the introduction of a mechanism to compensate producers for price differences when agricultural product prices fall, and the establishment of a legal basis for the agricultural product price stabilization system.

The completion of these 'Four Major Agricultural Laws' is regarded as a turning point of institutional reform that fundamentally redefines the direction and framework of Korea's agricultural policy, going beyond mere legislative activity. In particular, it is highly regarded for connecting key agricultural issues?such as responding to the climate crisis, stabilizing rice supply, and improving distribution structures?with concrete legislation, and for effectively incorporating the philosophy of 'field-oriented agricultural policy' into actual policy.

Representative Moon stated, "The way to save agriculture in crisis is to listen to voices from the field and provide solutions through laws and institutions," and added, "I will continue to do my utmost in both legislation and policy to bring about changes that farmers can truly feel and to achieve sustainable agriculture."

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