Shin Jeonghun: "Relocating MAFRA to South Jeolla Is the Solution to Rural Depopulation and the Agricultural Crisis"
Public Sentiment in South Jeolla During Chuseok...
"Wings of Balanced Development for Honam"
Citing the Relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan,
Calls for the "Five Regional Cores and Three Special Zones" Strategy
Shin Jeonghun, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Naju and Hwasun in South Jeolla Province and chair of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee), conveyed the public sentiment in South Jeolla Province that he heard during the Chuseok holiday and urged the government to carefully consider relocating the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) to South Jeolla.
Shin emphasized that relocating MAFRA to South Jeolla could serve as a key national strategy to achieve balanced regional development and simultaneously address the escalating crises of rural depopulation and agricultural decline.
On October 8, through his Facebook page, Shin stated, “Residents of South Jeolla emphasized that eradicating insurrectionist forces is the most critical task for the Republic of Korea.” He added, “There were very high expectations for the ‘Five Regional Cores and Three Special Zones’ strategy for balanced growth under the Lee Jaemyung administration.” He continued, “Just as the southeastern region gained momentum for balanced development through the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the construction of Gadeokdo Airport, many people expressed the opinion that the Honam region, which has endured significant sacrifices, also deserves special support and a boost for balanced development.”
He reported that among the proposals most frequently mentioned by residents for balanced growth was the relocation of MAFRA to South Jeolla. Shin argued, “South Jeolla is the largest agricultural region in the country and also has the highest rural depopulation index. As the collapse of agriculture directly leads to rural extinction, relocating MAFRA to South Jeolla is the optimal national solution to address both rural depopulation and the agricultural crisis.”
Furthermore, Shin noted that farmers in South Jeolla are already preparing for the era of smart farms and AI-driven agriculture, and that the neighboring city of Gwangju is striving to become a hub for AI technology. He said, “If Gwangju’s AI technology is combined with South Jeolla’s innovative agriculture, the region has ample potential to become a true center for AI-based agriculture. To maximize this synergy, MAFRA should relocate to South Jeolla and take a leading role.”
Shin pointed out that major agencies under MAFRA-such as the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), Korea Rural Community Corporation, and Korea Rural Economic Institute-are already concentrated in South Jeolla. He likened the current situation to “all the crew being on the same ship, while only the captain is on a different one.” He argued that, just as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries relocated in consideration of the importance of policy sites like Busan Port and the southern coast, it is also reasonable in terms of administrative efficiency for MAFRA to move to South Jeolla, which is at the heart of agricultural policy.
While acknowledging that relocating a government ministry is not an easy decision, Shin reiterated, “In the face of Korea’s current national challenges-climate crisis, food crisis, and rural depopulation-the relocation of MAFRA to South Jeolla must be thoroughly and seriously discussed.”
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Meanwhile, Shin stated, “I hope that, like the southeastern region’s example under the ‘Five Regional Cores and Three Special Zones’ strategy, the Honam region can become a core axis of Korea’s future growth by gaining the wings of balanced development through the relocation of MAFRA. Together with the residents of South Jeolla, I call on the government to make an active and decisive move.”
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