Agriculture minister must take responsibility for fixing Grain Management Act

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Agriculture minister must take responsibility for fixing Grain Management Act

Published: 26 Jun. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Song Mi-ryeong, who was retained as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs under the Lee Jae Myung administration, answers questions from lawmakers during a plenary session of Korea’s National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee on June 25. [YONHAP]

Controversy is mounting over Song Mi-ryeong, the only minister from the previous administration to be retained by President Lee Jae Myung. During her tenure under former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Song had publicly opposed a set of agriculture-related bills led by the Democratic Party (DP), referring to them as “laws that ruin farming.” She also recommended the use of the presidential veto to block the revisions to the Grain Management Act. Her reappointment, praised by some as a sign of Lee’s pragmatism, has drawn criticism from progressive parties and farmers’ organizations, which are demanding her dismissal. Critics within the ruling party have called her retention “a betrayal of farmers,” while the opposition labeled her a “collaborator in the Lee administration.”

The four agricultural bills, including the amended Grain Management Act, have faced strong pushback from economists and policy experts, who argue that they run counter to market principles and offer excessive, unsustainable benefits to farmers. The grain law, in particular, mandates that the government purchase surplus rice when prices fall significantly below the average. This has encouraged overproduction and forced the government to spend roughly 1 trillion won ($734.8 million) each year to buy up excess stock. Similar concerns apply to other legislation, such as a bill that compensates for price declines in agricultural and marine products, which could further strain public finances.

The revision of the Grain Management Act was a key campaign pledge of Lee's. However, fulfilling every campaign promise — particularly those aimed at courting specific voting blocs — may not align with the pragmatic tone the new administration seeks to establish. The act had been considered too burdensome even by previous DP-led governments.

Song apologized for her past “farming ruin law” comment during a National Assembly session on Wednesday and pledged to work with lawmakers to find the best alternative. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs already proposed a revised version of the grain law during a policy briefing. The compromise would tie mandatory government purchases of surplus rice to prior reductions in rice cultivation areas, easing the fiscal burden. It is a more flexible approach than the original law, which was vetoed under the Yoon administration.

Had a new minister with stronger DP ties been appointed, it might have been politically difficult to pursue an alternative. Song’s experience may offer the administration a better chance at reaching a workable solution.

Public reserve rice is being purchased at the Agricultural Ecology Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, on the morning of November 7, 2024. [YONHAP]

On June 25, the opposition People Power Party criticized Song’s position as “opportunistic” while the ruling party urged her to adopt a different stance than during her previous term. Song responded by emphasizing sustainable agricultural policy and a flexible, pragmatic approach. After her reappointment, she vowed to “give her all” to the role.

But effort alone is not enough. What matters is the direction of agricultural policy. If the government truly wants to be practical, it must revise the four controversial laws in a way that ensures long-term sustainability. Song must be willing to stake her position on producing a more reasonable version of the grain law. If she cannot persuade the National Assembly or farmers' groups, and the government ends up pushing ahead with minimal changes, she should step aside.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.