hankyoreh

“Resolve the rice price problem

Approximately 30 thousand South Korean farmers convened together for a National Farmers’ Convention to ask the government to address plummeting rice prices on Tuesday.

A total of 13 farmers’ organizations including the Korea Peasant League (KPL) hosted the convention together in order to ask the government to resolve the problem of plummeting rice prices and to reform the Nonghyup, or National Agricultural Cooperative Federation.

The participants said, “The government has exhibited irresponsible behavior in that it has not formulated a policy to help address the issue of plummeting rice prices.” The participants are also asking the government to resume rice aid to North Korea and said, “The main cause of plummeting rice prices is the government’s decision not to send rice aid to North Korea.” The participants added, “During the previous administration, 400 thousand tons of rice were sent to North Korea annually, whereas the current administration has stocked up over 800 thousand tons of rice.” They say the excess reserves of rice are one of main causes of the steep decline in the price of rice.

The participants are also demanding the reform of Nonghyup and said, “Nonghyup should be reborn as an organization that serves ordinary farmers.”

Other convention participants included Chung Sye-kyun, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), Kang Ki-kap, chairman of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and Roh Hoe-chan, Chairman of the New Progressive Party (NPP).

After the convention, several hundred members of KPL staged a demonstration at various places through Seoul City. In the Jongno district, approximately 300 members tried participate in Samboilbae, three steps and one bow, towards the Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House), however the police arrested eight people and dispersed the remaining members. In the Sejongno neighborhood, seven out of another 300 farmers that marched were arrested.

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