Minister Song Mi-ryung of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on the 10th that "if Korea joins the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), there are opportunities in the agricultural sector as well."
The Minister said at the "briefing with the press corps chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs" held at the Government Complex Sejong that "when Korea-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was concluded in 2004, people said our grapes would be in big trouble, but now grapes rank No. 1 in the fresh produce category of K-food exports," and stated accordingly. The point is that opening the market door through an FTA can increase exports.
The Minister said, "After concluding a quarantine agreement with Singapore in November last year, the export performance of premium Korean beef, known as hanwoo, and pork has surged tremendously," adding, "our agricultural (and livestock) products are quite competitive." The Minister went on, "It is true that there is fear on one hand about opening the market, but depending on how we proceed, there are also areas where we can take on significant challenges."
However, the Minister said the government's position is not necessarily to pursue joining the CPTPP. The Minister said, "If it runs counter to the national interest or public sentiment, we will not discuss it on the premise of joining the CPTPP, but will listen fully to what the public has to say." The Minister added, "In a sense, establishing complementary measures in advance of joining the CPTPP could be seen as presupposing accession," and said, "We should consider (the complementary measures) after the decision to join is made; we are not at that stage now."
Regarding the soybean shortage controversy, the Minister said, "Under the World Trade Organization and FTA negotiation outcomes, we are obliged to import 220,000 tons (t) every year, and the mandatory import volume has all arrived." The Minister said, "Normally (in an average year) we import an additional 30,000 t, and the industry is asking why we are not doing that (this year)," adding, "if Korea's soybean inventories are substantial, using domestic soybeans comes first." The Minister said, "We allocated 21,000 t with domestic soybeans to companies in need, and 9,000 t has already been delivered through imports," adding, "there is no problem at all in balancing supply and demand for processed soybean foods."
On the nationwide farmland survey underway, the Minister said, "Since the Farmland Act was enacted in 1996, there has not been a single instance of detailed data on farmland," adding, "we aim to identify ownership and usage status to build databases and improve systems that are out of touch with reality." The Minister added, "What can be seen as speculation must be dealt with firmly," while noting, "those who are elderly and find it difficult to farm are not subject to punishment or crackdowns."