Lee Seungdon, New RDA Chief, Vows to Expand Agricultural Use of AI and Advanced Technologies

Lee Seungdon Pledges to Establish AI-Based Smart Agriculture System
Emphasizes Expansion of Advanced Technologies and Support for Small and Medium-Sized Farms
Focuses on Climate Crisis Response, Food Self-Sufficiency, and K-Food Export Growth

Lee Seungdon, the newly appointed Administrator of the Rural Development Administration, announced on the 18th that he will establish an AI-based smart data agriculture system for facility, open-field, and livestock sectors.

At his inauguration ceremony held at the Jeonju headquarters that day, Administrator Lee stated, "To support the development of agriculture as a national strategic industry, we will expand the agricultural application of advanced technologies such as AI," expressing his commitment to this direction.

Lee Seungdon, the newly appointed Administrator of the Rural Development Administration.

He emphasized, "We will promote the spread of cost-effective smart farm technologies, including the development of customized smart greenhouse models for small and medium-sized farms that all farmers can utilize, as well as the commercialization of an open greenhouse integrated management platform (Ara Greenhouse)." He added, "We will secure a wide range of domestic and international plant genetic resources and share them with the private sector. At the same time, we will develop and distribute high-value-added green bio source technologies and industrialization technologies based on microbial utilization technologies."

Administrator Lee also plans to take preemptive measures against the climate crisis and increase the nation's food self-sufficiency rate. He said, "We will distribute high-quality varieties and cultivation technologies that are resistant to high temperatures, drought, and pests and diseases. We will also support climate-adaptive agriculture by advancing supply and demand prediction models using agricultural satellites and expanding early warning services for agricultural meteorological disasters nationwide." He continued, "We will strengthen the stable production and consumption base of food and horticultural crops, and strive to increase the food self-sufficiency rate by developing superior new varieties to replace imported ones."

He also intends to focus on developing and disseminating practical agricultural technologies that address a variety of field-level issues. Administrator Lee explained, "With the aging of rural communities and growing labor shortages, mechanization of field crop farming is no longer optional but a core area that must be addressed." He added, "We will establish a fully mechanized system for the entire process-from sowing and transplanting to harvesting-for the eight major field crops that account for over 70% of open-field cultivation. This will reduce labor requirements and increase productivity in agriculture."

He further stressed his commitment to creating safe and happy rural communities where everyone would want to live, as part of efforts toward balanced national development. Administrator Lee said, "The preservation of rural areas is essential to prevent the disappearance of local regions." He continued, "We will contribute to revitalizing regional economies by working with local governments to foster competitive region-specific crops and develop rural tourism programs. We will also provide tailored, full-cycle support for young farmers and foster smart agricultural management entities to strengthen the foundation for future farming."

Finally, he highlighted the importance of supporting K-Food exports and expanding the reach of K-agricultural technologies. Administrator Lee stated, "We will technologically support the expansion of K-Food exports by fostering export-oriented agricultural products linked with K-Culture and spreading technologies to address non-tariff barriers. We will also accelerate the development and dissemination of technologies that maintain the freshness of export agricultural products over extended periods." He added, "Through overseas agricultural technology development projects (KOPIA) and the operation of continent-specific agri-food technology cooperation councils, we will make tangible contributions to agricultural development in developing countries, and we will also develop a 'public development assistance (ODA) project-export linkage' model."

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