Kim Youngrok Pledges "Agriculture Free from Worries over Rice Prices, Labor, and Disasters"... Jeonnam-Gwangju 'Five-Zero Innovation' Promise

Agricultural Budget to Reach 2 Trillion Won, Transition to Advanced AI-Based Farming

"Resolving Farmers' Concerns Through State Responsibility" Emphasized

Youngrok Kim, Pre-candidate for Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City in Jeonnam Province.

Kim Youngrok, prospective candidate for Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, Jeonnam Province, from the Democratic Party of Korea, announced his core agricultural pledge, titled "Five Promises for Agricultural Innovation in Jeonnam and Gwangju." Notably, he unveiled a vision to realize a "Five-Zero Agriculture" policy, aiming for a system in which the state takes responsibility to relieve farmers of five major burdens: rice prices, labor shortages, disasters, market access, and (animal) diseases.

Kim stated, "Although the strategic value of agriculture has increased due to global conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East wars, rural communities continue to struggle with rising costs, workforce shortages, and income instability." He added, "I will reorganize agriculture into a core national industry."

He also announced plans to expand fiscal support and strengthen the public sector's role.

Specifically, he pledged to increase the agricultural budget of Jeonnam Province from its current level of about 1.3 trillion won to over 2 trillion won, and to build a system that supports the entire cycle of production, research and development, distribution, and export.

He also committed to gradually expanding the basic income for agriculture and rural areas, thereby strengthening the income safety net. In detail, he plans to stabilize rice prices by implementing a system in which both the private and public sectors purchase 100% of the rice, and to alleviate seasonal labor shortages by introducing a public-sector work program.

Additionally, he intends to fully realize 100% disaster recovery compensation and improve the insurance system to reduce the burden of natural disasters, while restructuring wholesale markets to address distribution issues.

In the livestock sector, he plans to reduce disease risks through facility modernization and reinforced quarantine measures.

Kim also emphasized expanding the influx of young farmers. He pledged to foster agricultural ventures linked to smart farming, food technology, and the bioindustry, and to introduce a support model combining settlement grants, public housing, and long-term leased farmland.

Alongside these measures, he aims to reduce management burdens by providing support for fuel tax differentials, feed cost subsidies, and expanding policy loan interest support. He will also promote the transition to AI-based agriculture. Plans include establishing large-scale smart farming complexes of 3 to 5 hectares and further introducing autonomous agricultural machinery.

Kim stated, "I will make the voices from the agricultural field the starting point for policy," adding, "I will create a structure where agriculture receives fair value and farmers can live with stability."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.