[비즈한국] Following the government's announcement of a plan for a nationwide farmland survey, voices of concern have been rising among farmers. Meanwhile, NongHyup (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation) appears to be refraining from taking an official stance on the survey. In the business world, the prevailing view is that it is difficult for NongHyup Chairman Kang Ho-dong to express opinions on sensitive issues. Since last year, Chairman Kang has been a target of criticism from political circles due to bribery allegations and personnel issues. Analysts suggest that given he is also currently under police investigation, he has no choice but to be cautious in his actions.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Federation has not released an official position regarding the nationwide farmland survey. Considering that NongHyup is a cooperative for farmers and thus a direct stakeholder, it is notable that only a few discussions have been held at regional NongHyup branches. Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung is also mainly meeting with regional cooperative heads rather than Chairman Kang Ho-dong to exchange opinions.
NongHyup Chairman Kang Ho-dong attended the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee audit on October 16. Although some lawmakers asked for his opinion on the nationwide farmland survey, Chairman Kang remained tight-lipped, saying, "It is difficult to provide a specific comment."
In the business sector, the atmosphere is that it would be difficult for Chairman Kang to actively voice his opinion to political circles given the environment he is in. Chairman Kang was summoned and investigated by police in April this year on bribery charges, which sparked calls for NongHyup reform from political circles. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is pushing for revisions to the NongHyup Act, which include the introduction of a direct election system for the chairman and the establishment of an audit body. The prevailing view is that because Chairman Kang himself is a target of reform, his leverage is inevitably weak.
A business official analyzed, "The NongHyup Act is determined by the National Assembly, so if Chairman Kang Ho-dong clashes with political circles, there is a possibility that the revision of the NongHyup Act could proceed in a direction unfavorable to him or the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation," adding, "Unlike owners of large conglomerates, the NongHyup chairman has a fixed term, so there is no need for political circles to maintain a particularly close relationship with him." Chairman Kang's term ends in March 2028.
Nevertheless, there are persistent calls for NongHyup to play its role. A member of a farmers' organization said, "I don't mean to ignore Chairman Kang Ho-dong's position, but it is regrettable that the chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation is showing such a passive stance in such an important situation," adding, "If it is difficult for him to take a side, I wish he would at least play the role of relaying the recently raised concerns to political circles."
Meanwhile, there are voices opposing the nationwide farmland survey within the opposition People Power Party. There is also analysis that the survey could have a negative impact on NongHyup's management. On October 16, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Sung-kwon argued, "Recently, 44 regional NongHyup branches that handle farmland-backed loans were judged to be insolvent; there is a significant concern that if farmland transactions plummet due to the nationwide survey, even branches with sound financial health could face a crisis," adding, "It has been confirmed that the number of farmland transactions dropped by 9,134 cases from February to August of this year compared to the same period last year, and the farmland market has entered its own ice age."
The government's stance is to identify farmland held for speculative purposes. However, there are concerns that those who cannot farm due to unavoidable circumstances could be misclassified as speculative forces. In response, President Lee Jae-myung posted on social media on October 5, saying, "The nationwide farmland survey is just a survey, and those who own farmland normally will suffer no disadvantages."
Farmers' groups are not entirely against the survey itself. There is also a significant amount of public opinion in favor of it. However, the criticism remains that there was a lack of communication with farmers before the announcement and a lack of countermeasures to prevent side effects.
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Rural Community Corporation have begun taking action, such as launching a "Farmland Survey Consultation Center" on October 12 to resolve questions and communicate with the field regarding the survey. Yoon Won-seop, head of the Farmland Survey and Institutional Improvement Promotion Team at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "We will provide accurate information about the nationwide farmland survey through the consultation center and resolve the public's questions and concerns," adding, "We will provide necessary guidance and support without fail so that farmers do not experience unnecessary anxiety or disadvantages during the investigation process."