# South Korean agricultural budget and water quality issues

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-agricultural-budget-and-water-quality-issues
> Updated: 2026-11-05T04:29:56.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

Reports indicate challenges regarding water quality management and budget allocation within South Korea’s agricultural sector. Data from the Korea Rural Community Corporation shows that despite an investment of approximately 154.7 billion KRW between 2021 and September 2024, the number of reservoirs failing to meet Grade IV water quality standards increased by 34.4 percent. In regions such as Ganghwa County, reservoirs like Gogu, Nanjeong, and Daesan recorded Grade V water quality. Legislators have criticized the management of these funds, noting that 92.1 percent of the budget was concentrated in four specific regions, leaving areas like Gyeonggi and Chungbuk without funding for several consecutive years.

Further analysis of the national budget reveals that while the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs budget is projected to increase by 10.4 percent to 22.2 trillion won, its share of the total national budget has declined to 2.7 percent. Other agencies, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Forest Service, have seen growth rates that lag behind the overall government budget increase. Concerns have been raised regarding reductions in disaster response funds, specifically a 12 percent decrease in fishery disaster response and a 17.6 percent decrease in forest fire response budgets, alongside a lack of recovery in agricultural research and development investment.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-05: South Korean agriculture budget share declines despite total increase

South Korean agriculture and fisheries budgets are growing slower than the national average, leading to concerns over declining budget shares, reduced R&D, and weakened disaster response capabilities.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-agriculture-budget-share-declines-despite-total-increase

### 2026-10-14: South Korean reservoir water quality fails to improve despite massive spending

Despite spending over 154 billion KRW on water quality improvements, the number of substandard agricultural reservoirs in South Korea has increased by 34%, prompting calls for budget reform.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-korean-reservoir-water-quality-fails-to-improve-despite-massive-spending

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Cite as: South Korean agricultural budget and water quality issues. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-agricultural-budget-and-water-quality-issues