Farmland Survey Was Proposed by Song Mi-ryung in Accordance with the Law
President Lee Jae Myung said at a farmers and fishermen's meeting held at the presidential office in Cheong Wa Dae (the former Blue House) on the 26th that the nationwide farmland survey (a thorough examination of every piece of farmland) was carried out at the proposal of Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung in accordance with the law, and is not intended as a punitive measure. Regarding the survey, President Lee noted, "To implement farmland policies, we need to understand the state of farmland, yet a survey required by law has not been conducted for 70 years." He explained, "The idea is to identify cases where people registered to farm and purchased farmland but are not actually farming, using it for other purposes instead." He emphasized, "Minister Song Mi-ryung proposed it, saying, 'There are things the law requires that haven't been done for decades, so let's do a full survey while we're at it,' so we did it," adding, "This is not about seizing farmland or imposing punitive measures."
On the issue of the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), President Lee said, "Applying for accession doesn't mean approval will be granted, and it would be difficult for final agreement to be reached within my term." He went on, "In the end, there's a strong chance I would only face criticism, and as a politician the easy choice would be not to do it," but explained, "For the sake of the entire Republic of Korea, it must be done even if it invites criticism, so that we can move to the next stage."
President Lee added, "We cannot live on semiconductors alone, but on the other hand, we cannot live on agriculture alone either," saying, "Everything must coexist in harmony." He continued, "Until now, the basic approach when implementing a policy has been that if the majority gains great benefits, the minority must bear the losses, but I don't think that's right." He said, "People should not be forced to suffer one-sided losses simply because they lack power or are small in number." He emphasized, "I will do my utmost to ensure that areas essential to the survival of the Republic of Korea are not damaged or driven into decline."