Yoon Suk Yeol vetoes controversial grain bill

Politics

Published: 04 Apr. 2023, 12:08 Updated: 04 Apr. 2023, 16:09

Yoon Suk Yeol vetoes controversial grain bill

President Yoon Suk Yeol presides over a Cabinet meeting at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed a controversial bill Tuesday that would have required the government to purchase surplus rice.

This marks Yoon's first veto of a bill since he took office in May 2022. It is also the first such veto by a president in seven years.

During a Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning, Yoon rejected an amendment to the Grain Management Act, requesting parliament to reconsider the legislation just 12 days since it passed in the National Assembly.

"The government has been continuously explaining the negative side effects of this bill to the National Assembly, but it is very regrettable that it was passed unilaterally without proper discussions," said Yoon.

On March 23, the National Assembly, controlled by the liberal Democratic Party (DP), passed an amendment to the Grain Management Act that requires the government to purchase excessive rice from local farms when rice production exceeds 3 percent of estimated consumption, or when the price drops more than 5 to 8 percent compared to the previous year.

Yoon said that the amended law goes against his administration's agricultural policy which aims to develop the agriculture sector into a highly productive industry to improve farm household income, restructure farming and rural areas and make rural areas more livable for farmers.

"This bill is a typical populist bill that goes against the government's agricultural policy goal of increasing agricultural productivity and raising farm household income, and is not helpful to farmers and rural development at all," Yoon said to his ministers.

He criticized that the law requires the government to "buy all of the surplus rice at the tremendous cost of taxpayers' money, regardless of the amount of rice consumed in the market."

Yoon noted that experts also said an overproduction of rice will ultimately reduce the market price of rice and farmers' incomes will become more unstable.

After the bill was passed, some 40 farmers' organizations demanded a review on the amendment to the Grain Management Act, Yoon said, adding that relevant ministries and the People Power Party (PPP) also listened to such voices, leading to his decision to veto it.

Yoon ordered the Agriculture Ministry and other related agencies to "swiftly come up with measures to stabilize rice supply and demand, increase farm household income and develop the agricultural sector.

Yoon has repeatedly expressed in the past that he is opposed to the revised Grain Management Act, claiming that it could place an excessive burden on state coffers, encourage the overproduction of rice and undermine agricultural competitiveness.

Likewise, Yoon's PPP has been opposed to the amendment on similar grounds, while the DP said the law is meant to protect farmers and stabilize rice prices.

It is rare for a president to veto a bill that already passed the National Assembly.

The last time was in May 2016, when former President Park Geun-hye vetoed a bill that would allow parliament to hold hearings more often.

Once a bill is returned to the National Assembly, it must be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers present, with a quorum being filled, for it to pass again.

It is unlikely the grain law amendment will pass again as the PPP fills 115 parliamentary seats out of 299.

The DP has said it could introduce similar bills if the amendment is vetoed by the president.

DP floor leader Park Hong-keun and other liberal lawmakers held a rally to "condemn" the president's veto in front of the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul later Tuesday.

Hong said through a press conference that Yoon "went against the will of the people" by rejecting the promulgation of the amended grain law, which he said was approved by a majority of the people in a public opinion poll.

The lawmakers stressed that the amendment was meant to prevent a rice surplus and provide a safety net for farmers.

In turn, Kang Min-kuk, a PPP spokesman, said in a statement that the amendment was an "evil legislation that has failed in both purpose and procedure," criticizing the DP for unilaterally passing the bill and stressing that it is only natural for the president to exercise his veto power.

"Unlimited purchase of rice is expected to cost well over 1 trillion won annually," said Kang, adding it is preferable to use this budget to grow other crops for food security such as soybeans and wheat, or invest in smart farming and future agriculture.

He said the amended law would not be helpful to the national economy nor small farmers in the long run.

Democratic Party floor leader Park Hong-keun, center, speaks at a rally to protest the president’s veto of an amendment to the Grain Management Act which requires the government to purchase surplus rice in front of the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul Tuesday. Lawmakers hold up signs reading “betrayal of farmers.” [NEWS1]

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]