As National Agricultural Cooperative Federation President Kang Ho-dong was questioned by police over bribery allegations, attention is focusing on whether he can serve out his term, which runs through Mar. 2028. The government is pushing to overhaul the election system for the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, and if Kang resigns midterm, it is expected to affect the reform as well.
According to the financial sector on the 6th, the government and the ruling party are working to shorten the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president's current single four-year term to three years. They also plan to change the selection method from the existing indirect election to a direct election in which all 1.87 million members vote. Under this plan, holding the nationwide simultaneous cooperative head elections and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president election together in Mar. 2031 is the broad framework of the reform.
This would be the first time a direct vote by members is introduced for the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president election. Currently, 1,110 cooperative heads vote. As election irregularities, including cash-for-votes, continued under the electoral college structure in which a small number of cooperative heads hold voting rights, the government and ruling party began procedures to reform the election system early this year.
The aim of holding the nationwide simultaneous cooperative head elections together with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president election is to cut election expenses. According to estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, if the NongHyup president election is held alone by putting it to a vote of all members, the expected expense is about 17 billion–19 billion won. In addition, the cost required to hold the nationwide simultaneous cooperative head elections is about 27.2 billion won, but the ministry believes that if the two elections are held together, the expense burden will not be large.
The variable is if Kang loses his eligibility as president during his term or voluntarily steps down. The next presidential election is scheduled for Mar. 2028, when Kang's term ends. Before then, the goal is to reduce the president's term from four years to three and align the timing of the 2031 cooperative head elections and the president election.
Kang is suspected of accepting 100 million won in bribes in two installments from the head of a service provider that has a transaction relationship with a National Agricultural Cooperative Federation affiliate at the end of 2023, when he ran for National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president and was considered the favorite to win. In response, police have searched and seized Kang since Oct. last year and questioned Kang's close associates tied to the bribery case. Police first summoned Kang on the 4th and questioned him for more than 18 hours.
According to Article 60 (Grounds for Disqualification of Executives) of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation's articles of association, a person whose qualifications have been lost or suspended by a court ruling or another law cannot serve as a board executive of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation. A ruling party official said, "We plan to complete legislation for reform around the local elections, but if Kang resigns midterm, we will likely have to rewrite the bill from scratch."