Lee Seeks to Ease Discontent Over CPTPP, Farmland Survey; Invites Farmers and Fishers to Blue House Town Hall

President to meet with farmers and fishers for first time in 8 years; more than 110 to attend
Farmland survey and market-opening concerns to be heard; support measures in focus

President Lee Jae-myung will invite farmers and fishers to the Blue House on October 26 to hear their views on key issues, including South Korea's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and a comprehensive survey of farmland. The move is seen as an effort to ease opposition from the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sectors and rebuild trust between the government and farmers and fishers.

President Lee Jae-myung listens to a participant speaking at the second plenary meeting of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee at Cheong Wa Dae on October 23, 2026. Yonhap News

According to the Blue House, Lee will host a “Dialogue with Farmers and Fishers” at the Blue House guesthouse at 2 p.m. on October 26. It will be the first time in eight years, since 2018, that a president has held a town hall directly with a large group of farmers and fishers. The event, under the slogan “The President Will Listen Directly to the Opinions of Farmers and Fishers,” will take the form of a town hall meeting.

The event, which will be livestreamed in its entirety, will be divided into three sessions on farmland and labor issues, the CPTPP, and other agricultural, forestry and fisheries issues. More than 110 farmers and fishers affiliated with groups including the Hanguk Jonghap Nong-eop Danche Hyeopuihoe, Nongminui Gil and Chuksan Gwallnyeon Danche Hyeopuihoe will attend. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries will attend on behalf of the government, while the chair of the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee will attend on behalf of the National Assembly.

The issue drawing the greatest interest is accession to the CPTPP. On October 8, Lee instructed the government to put off submitting an application to join the pact this year, saying that rebuilding trust with farmers and fishers should come first. At a press conference on October 19, Lee said, “We do need to join the CPTPP,” while emphasizing that it is the government's role to reconcile the differing interests of each industry as markets open. At the meeting, he is also expected to hear concerns about the potential harm market opening could cause farmers and fishers and discuss support measures. Attention is also on whether the event will produce measures to address farmers' opposition to a comprehensive survey of farmland.

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