On the 1st, the Rural and Fishing Village Revitalization Fund Operating Committee announced that it held its 36th committee meeting on the 25th of last month and officially launched the '4th Rural and Fishing Village Revitalization Fund Operating Committee.'
The 4th Operating Committee consists of a total of 17 Commissioners, including representatives from the agriculture and fisheries sector, corporations, public interest representatives, and government ex-officio members, and will engage in substantial activities for rural and fishing village cooperation over the next two years.
At the meeting, Jeong-hee Lee, a professor at Chung-Ang University who served as a Commissioner in the 3rd term, was elected as the 4th Chairperson. The newly formed 4th committee includes corporations such as Daesang, Korea Western Power (KOWEPO), and Hoban Group participating as corporate Commissioners, while professors from Pukyong National University, Seoul Women's University, and Jeonbuk National University have been newly appointed as public interest Commissioners. Some Commissioners will continue their service through reappointment.
Chairperson Jeong-hee Lee noted, "The Korean economy is facing a crisis as the potential growth rate falls below 2% due to structural problems such as population decline and the disappearance of rural areas," and emphasized, "It is vital to restore the rural economy and enhance workforce productivity to overcome these challenges." He also expressed his commitment to ensuring that cooperation in the agriculture and fisheries sector plays a role in creating new competitiveness and that the Rural and Fishing Village Revitalization Fund serves as a catalyst for these changes.
The Rural and Fishing Village Revitalization Fund Operating Committee aims to create a foundation for corporations and the agriculture and fisheries sector to coexist and continues to engage in various activities, with plans to pursue sustainable rural development projects and policy recommendations in the future.