President Lee Jae-myung on the 6th instructed officials to restart talks with the farming and fisheries sectors from scratch over the government's push to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), saying they should not rush ahead with a predetermined conclusion. The directive is seen as an effort to listen to and reflect the views of farmers and fishermen as much as possible, given the strong backlash from sectors fearing damage, including agriculture, when South Korea pursued its free trade agreement with the United States.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting he presided over at the Blue House that day, noting that "some argue the CPTPP carries important strategic value at a time of upheaval in the global trade order, while others say concerns in the farming and fisheries sectors are very serious." Lee also stressed that "policy must be pursued on the premise of trust and consensus among farmers and fishermen, and with the national interest weighed," calling for thorough dialogue rather than a conclusion set in advance.
Lee had earlier addressed concerns over the CPTPP push in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on the 29th of last month, saying he understood better than anyone the importance of agriculture, fisheries, livestock and forestry as strategic security industries and urging the public not to worry too much.
Receiving a briefing on a full survey of farmland the same day, Lee raised the need for active review, saying returns appear to be fairly high when farmland is converted for solar power projects. He noted that a large amount of farmland now lies fallow and that farming it as is leaves little once expenses are weighed against income.
"Converting farmland for a solar project brings several times the income of ordinary farming," he said, adding that equipment costs could be covered through funds, investment or business loans, and that a set share of the returns could be distributed to the landowners.
He also called for a system in which the government lays the groundwork for people to return to farming and fishing villages, supports permits in a single package and provides funding for facilities. "South Korea has to move toward becoming an electricity-driven country in any case, and renewable energy is the core of that," he said, repeatedly stressing the need for solar power and adding that solar is bound to take center stage. "Now looks like the opportunity," he said.
Lee devoted a considerable portion of his opening remarks that day to his commitment to expanding the income safety net for farming and fishing communities. "About 325.5 billion won has been accumulated so far in the fund for shared growth with farming and fishing villages, which is not enough," he said. "We will first commit 200 billion won in next year's budget and add 500 billion won going forward to build it up to more than 1 trillion won."
The move is seen as an attempt to defuse negative public sentiment through active support for farming and fishing communities, amid continuing resistance from farmers after the government announced its plan for a full survey of farmland.
