[비즈한국] Calls for the relocation of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Suhyup) headquarters have emerged, primarily from political circles. In particular, political figures from the South Jeolla Province region are strongly pushing for this move. However, the Suhyup leadership, including Chairman Labor-jin, is currently pursuing a relocation of the headquarters to Dongjak-gu, Seoul. The Suhyup headquarters is currently located in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Within Suhyup, there is strong opposition to moving the headquarters to a provincial area. Even if politicians continue to push for the relocation, it is expected that there will be significant friction before it can be realized.
Eleven National Assembly members, including Representative Seo Sam-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed an amendment to the Fisheries Cooperatives Act in October. The key change is to replace the current legal provision that "the Suhyup headquarters shall have its principal office in Seoul and may establish branch offices as determined by the articles of association" with one that states, "the location of the principal office of the Suhyup headquarters shall be determined by the articles of association, and branch offices may be established as determined by the articles of association if necessary."
Representative Seo and others explained, "By stipulating that the headquarters must be in Seoul, which is irrelevant to the fisheries industry—the purpose of the establishment and the primary business of the organization—there is a sense of distance from the actual fishing sites," adding, "Opinions continue to be raised that this contradicts the government's pursuit of balanced national development and efficient policy implementation for the development of the national fisheries industry."
In the South Jeolla Province political sphere, demands for relocating the Suhyup headquarters have been consistent. Representative Joo Cheol-hyun of the Democratic Party of Korea argued during the October parliamentary audit of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, "There is high public opinion that the Suhyup headquarters should move to Jeonnam, the true center of the fisheries industry, which accounts for half of the national fishery production and 76% of aquaculture production," adding, "It is appropriate for the Suhyup headquarters to move to South Jeolla Province, which is the front line of the fishing industry and where the lives of fishermen are concentrated."
On the same day, Representative Moon Geum-ju of the Democratic Party of Korea also stated, "It is a contradiction for a public institution for fishing villages and fishermen to be located in the middle of Seoul," and urged, "Suhyup should move its headquarters to the field where the lives and breath of fishermen are present."
In the past, political figures in the Busan region also demanded the relocation of the Suhyup headquarters. In 2022, then-Representative Ahn Byung-gil of the People Power Party (currently President of the Korea Maritime Transport Corporation) proposed a bill to place the Suhyup headquarters in Busan, but it was scrapped upon the expiration of the term. Currently, the demand for relocation from there is not as strong as it once was.
In reality, Suhyup is pushing to relocate its headquarters to Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Suhyup and Dongjak-gu signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in December last year for the "Noryangjin Suhyup site complex development project." At the time, Suhyup stated, "We have agreed to strive to create a landmark in Dongjak-gu by relocating the headquarters to the Noryangjin Suhyup site." Chairman Labor-jin also revealed plans to relocate the headquarters to Noryangjin during a meeting with reporters covering the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries this past May.
Even if the bill proposed by Representative Seo Sam-seok passes, it does not mean the Suhyup headquarters must be moved to South Jeolla Province. Since the bill specifies that the headquarters should be located in a "place determined by the articles of association," there is no legal problem even if the headquarters is moved to Dongjak-gu.
However, it is difficult for Chairman Labor-jin and Suhyup to simply ignore the opinions of politicians. Suhyup is heavily influenced by policy in its core fisheries business and receives a significant amount of subsidies from the government.
Another variable is the internal opinion within Suhyup. Inside the organization, there is strong opposition to moving the headquarters to a province. On the 5th, the Suhyup branch of the Korean Financial Industry Union criticized the move, saying, "If the bill (proposed by Rep. Seo) is passed, Suhyup will inevitably be reduced to an organization that can be exploited according to the logic and interests of political circles. This is an act that infringes upon the autonomy of Suhyup guaranteed by the Fisheries Cooperatives Act and directly threatens the livelihood of the workers."
The parent organization, the Korean Financial Industry Union, also argued, "Suhyup is already sufficiently performing duties to promote and support the interests of fishery workers through regional fisheries cooperatives located across the country. The fact that the Suhyup headquarters is in Seoul has never been an obstacle to the development of the fisheries industry. In a country like South Korea, which is surrounded by the sea on three sides, designating only a specific region as a 'fisheries center' will only cause unnecessary regional conflict and social confusion."
Because of this, even if the amendment to the Fisheries Cooperatives Act proposed by Representative Seo Sam-seok is passed, it is expected that there will be considerable friction before the actual relocation of the Suhyup headquarters. Suhyup itself is being cautious about the headquarters relocation. Even Chairman Labor-jin avoided a direct answer during the October parliamentary audit, stating, "It is a matter that needs to be discussed with fishermen, fishery industry professionals, and the heads of cooperatives across the country."