South Korea                                 ...

South Korea                                                                               

Plan To Streamline Government Will Expand Ag Ministry

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will become the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if a plan proposed by the incoming administration passes the National Assembly. Food policy and oversight of the food industry will be switched from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the expanded agriculture ministry. Also, the Ministry of Finance and Economy will merge with the Ministry of Planning and Budget to become the Ministry of Planning and Finance, in charge of macroeconomic policies and the budget. The new ministry, according to USMEF-Korea, may be able to implement economic policies in a more coherent manner, avoiding clashes with other ministries, because it has the power to set and control government spending.

South Korea’s livestock organizations strongly oppose another proposed reform, the elimination of the Rural Development Administration, which, along with the National Fisheries Research & Development Institute and the Korea Forest Research Institute, will be axed as part of the streamlining of the government.

It remains to be seen if the reform is passed by a special session of the National Assembly scheduled for later this month, which will also consider ratification of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement and the ban on imports of U.S. beef.

South Korea                                                                               

Plan To Streamline Government Will Expand Ag Ministry

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will become the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if a plan proposed by the incoming administration passes the National Assembly. Food policy and oversight of the food industry will be switched from the Ministry of Health and Welfare to the expanded agriculture ministry. Also, the Ministry of Finance and Economy will merge with the Ministry of Planning and Budget to become the Ministry of Planning and Finance, in charge of macroeconomic policies and the budget. The new ministry, according to USMEF-Korea, may be able to implement economic policies in a more coherent manner, avoiding clashes with other ministries, because it has the power to set and control government spending.

South Korea’s livestock organizations strongly oppose another proposed reform, the elimination of the Rural Development Administration, which, along with the National Fisheries Research & Development Institute and the Korea Forest Research Institute, will be axed as part of the streamlining of the government.

It remains to be seen if the reform is passed by a special session of the National Assembly scheduled for later this month, which will also consider ratification of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement and the ban on imports of U.S. beef.