On the 28th, on Uisadang-daero in front of the National Assembly in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, representatives from NH Financial Branch and each branch of the National Financial Labor Union hold a rally calling to block the deterioration of the NongHyup Act and to demand Chairman Kang Ho-dong's resignation. /Courtesy of Hwang Chae-young

As the government pushes to amend the NongHyup Act, the NH NongHyup union and heads of local agricultural and livestock cooperatives have launched a backlash. Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a reform plan through a ruling party–government consultation to strengthen internal controls at NongHyup and introduce a direct election system for the central union head, but they argue this will effectively lead to "government control."

The NH NongHyup branch of the Korean Financial Industry Union held a "rally of all executives to block the retrograde revision of the NongHyup Act and to demand Chairman Kang Ho-dong's resignation" on the Avenue of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, starting at 2 p.m. on the 28th.

The NH NongHyup union demanded: ▲ immediately scrap the amendment to the NongHyup Act ▲ guarantee NongHyup's substantive autonomous management ▲ the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs should immediately dismiss Chairman Kang Ho-dong in accordance with the law, among other things.

Ryu Ki-seop, secretary-general of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, said, "There is a concern that (the amendment to the NongHyup Act) will seriously undermine the autonomy of cooperatives guaranteed by the Constitution," and noted, "If the hasty legislation is not stopped, we will define it as the usurpation of cooperative sovereignty."

The NH NongHyup union is concerned about the part of the amendment that codifies the establishment of a "NongHyup Audit Committee." It says the committee could exercise a transcendent audit authority that includes NH NongHyup's economic and financial subsidiaries and even local NongHyup cooperatives, and that government-affiliated figures could be included when recommending personnel for the audit committee.

On the 28th, in front of the main National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, participants chant slogans during the Farmers' Joint Declaration at the National Assembly podium organized to defend NongHyup's autonomy. /Courtesy of News1

In the morning, more than 500 heads of local agricultural and livestock cooperatives and farmers held a "joint declaration ceremony by farmers to defend NongHyup's autonomy" at the National Assembly and opposed the push to amend the NongHyup Act.

They demanded five items: ▲ stop government control and oversight ▲ scrap poison-pill provisions that undermine legal stability ▲ maintain guidance and oversight over subsidiaries ▲ withdraw the plan to create a new audit body ▲ stop attempts to change to a direct election for the central union head.

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