South Korean agriculture faces rural decline and trade concerns

South Korean agricultural stakeholders are addressing critical challenges ranging from regional depopulation to international trade pressures. In Gyeongsangbuk-do, the Provincial Council's Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Committee met with Nonghyup officials to discuss strategies for increasing farm income and responding to the crisis of rural extinction. Key initiatives discussed include the development of the ‘K-Gyeongbuk Food’ industry, expanding rural social safety nets, and improving agricultural production structures to enhance farmer benefits.

Simultaneously, farmers in Jeju held a protest to demand the suspension of South Korea’s pursuit of joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Demonstrators cited skyrocketing costs for fertilizers, pesticides, and labor, alongside falling agricultural prices, as existential threats. They argued that joining the CPTPP would force the agricultural sector to be sacrificed for trade interests, potentially destabilizing the nation’s food security and rural foundations.