New PM meets protesting farmers on first day in office

Korea Herald

10 hours ago

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Friday met with groups of farmers protesting against President Lee Jae Myung's decision to reappoint Agricultural Minister Song Mi-ryung, on his first day in office.
A total of eight groups of farmers were holding a rally across the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, opposing Lee's reappointment of Song, who had criticized the four agricultural bills drafted by the liberal Democratic Party of Korea and passed the National Assembly in November last year. The four bills, including amendments to the Grain Management Act, which requires the government to purchase surplus rice to stabilize prices during market fluctuations, were vetoed and scrapped by former Prime Minister and then-acting President Han Duck-soo, few weeks after it passed an Assembly plenary session. The bills had earned widespread support from farmers across the country.
Kim, who met with the protesters around 11 a.m., urged them to understand the president's decision, citing the need to 'unify the people,' while reassuring them that the four bills would be floated again and passed under the current administration.
He added that the president considered 'how much Song was involved in (Yoon's) insurrection case,' implying she had little involvement in the matter compared to other members of Yoon's Cabinet.
'I believe there were considerations of appointing a new minister (with the candidate) having been someone who has often cooperated with farmers' groups,' Kim told the protesters. 'But it seemed meaningful (for Song to be reappointed) in terms of unification of the people.'
Song was tapped by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol to lead the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Rural Affairs in late 2023. In November last year, she denounced the four agricultural bills as 'the four disaster bills" during a press briefing, after the Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee approved for a plenary vote.
Song, on June 30, backtracked on her earlier stance saying that 'the conditions are now met' to pass the agricultural bills.
She stressed that the new bill, which would be drafted by the Democratic Party, would focus on preventing the production of surplus rice through data and forecasts, rather than purchasing it afterward. The Democratic Party announced Thursday to float the bills again and put them to a plenary vote by the end of this month.
'(The current administration) holds one of the strongest views of supporting the rights of farmers among governments so far — I am certain that (the bills) will pass (the Assembly),' Kim told the protesters.
In the afternoon, Kim met with Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik at the National Assembly in western Seoul.
Woo advised Kim to 'lead state affairs by prioritizing the people's livelihoods.'
Kim in response said he would give his full efforts to focus on improving the economy and the people's lives.
The ruling party-led Assembly on Thursday passed the motion to confirm Lee's choice to tap Kim as prime minister in a 173-3 vote with three invalid ballots. All lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party boycotted the vote, citing several scandals surrounding his wealth and family.
The endorsement came 29 days after Lee nominated Kim, a four-term liberal lawmaker, as prime minister.