President holds 'Dialogue with Farmers and Fishers' at Cheong Wa Dae guesthouse

President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung invited more than 110 farmers and fishers to Cheong Wa Dae on Monday to hear their views on pressing issues facing the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors.

The gathering is part of Lee's effort to address strong rural opposition to a comprehensive farmland survey, shore up support for farmers and fishers amid the government's decision to delay a CPTPP membership bid this year, and rebuild trust between the government and the agricultural and fishing communities.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee hosted the event — titled "Dialogue with Farmers and Fishers: The President Will Listen Directly to Your Voices" — at the presidential guesthouse.

It was the first time since 2018 that a sitting president held a direct forum with a large group of farmers and fishers. The event was organized to hear a wide range of views from the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors and explore policy solutions.

The session focused particularly on farmers' and fishers' concerns over the farmland survey and CPTPP membership.

The move comes as the administration's approval rating among farmers has been slipping. The event is an attempt to provide accurate information on their concerns and find common ground.

At a press conference in September, Lee defended the farmland survey, saying it was aimed at "identifying clear cases of real estate speculation" and that there had been misunderstandings. He also signaled his intention to communicate more actively with farmers on the issue.

The CPTPP is a multilateral free trade agreement involving countries across the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, Australia and Canada. Joining the pact is expected to help expand export markets and diversify supply chains, but domestic farming and fishing industries have raised serious concerns about further opening of the agricultural and fisheries markets.

The government had initially considered raising South Korea's potential CPTPP membership at a ministerial meeting scheduled for November, but on Oct. 8 Lee instructed officials not to apply for membership within the year, saying they should "set no deadline and instead engage in sincere dialogue, listening fully to the voices of farmers and fishers."

The event was divided into three sessions covering the farmland survey, CPTPP and other agricultural and fisheries issues.

In each session, farmers and fishers were free to share their views, followed by open discussion among participants.


sang@heraldcorp.com