As National Agricultural Cooperative Federation President Kang Ho-dong came under police investigation on bribery charges and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' special audit found he wasted public funds, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation decided to have some executives resign, citing internal reform. But the terms of those executives were set to expire at the end of March this year, and Kang said he would step down only from his concurrent post as president of the Nongmin Shinmun, prompting criticism that this is a "showy reform." Kang's term as Nongmin Shinmun president was also set to end two months later.
According to the financial industry on the 13th, Ji Jun-seop, vice president of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, and Yeo Young-hyeon, head of mutual finance institutions, are expected to resign soon. They were appointed in the first round of executive appointments in March 2024, right after Kang took office, and there were no major issues pointed out about them in the ministry's special audit.
The wave of resignations by National Agricultural Cooperative Federation executives appears intended to take responsibility for controversies that have continued since last year and to demonstrate a willingness to reform. Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced interim results of its special audit, saying Kang stayed in five-star hotel suites on every overseas trip, exceeding the lodging cap, and collected a separate annual salary of about 300 million won while concurrently serving as president of the Nongmin Shinmun.
Kang is under police investigation on suspicion of receiving a 100 million won bribe from the head of a service company that has a transaction relationship with a National Agricultural Cooperative Federation affiliate during the 2023 National Agricultural Cooperative Federation presidential election process.
Inside NongHyup, there is grumbling that "the president did wrong, but the executives are taking the fall." Some also say Kang may be trying to reshape the board before the government fully launches governance reform at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation.
Minister Song Mi-ryung signaled a will to reform the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation's governance structure the previous day. Although National Agricultural Cooperative Federation executives are recommended by farming groups and academia and then appointed by the board, the federation president's will is heavily reflected.