[Exclusive] Democratic Party Members of the Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee to Meet with Yeo Han-gu, Head of Trade Negotiations: 'Emergency Party-Government Meeting'

[Financial News] Members of the Democratic Party's Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee (Agriculture Committee) will hold an 'emergency party-government meeting' with Yeo Han-gu, Head of Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The meeting is expected to be held as early as the 18th. This is interpreted as a response to the increasing possibility of expanding agricultural and livestock imports during the Korea-U.S. negotiation process.
 According to the National Assembly, related ministries, and agricultural organizations on the 17th, Democratic Party members of the Agriculture Committee have decided to hold an emergency party-government meeting with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in Seoul's National Assembly on the 18th or over the weekend. The Democratic Party members of the Agriculture Committee gathered their opinions to switch to an emergency party-government meeting after strong opposition from farmer organizations during the policy coordination meeting on the 15th, where they were preparing for an 'emergency issue inquiry'. A party-government meeting is a place where government departments and related National Assembly standing committee members meet to discuss.   
 A Democratic Party official said, "(The party-government meeting) is being pursued," adding, "The members want to meet with the party leadership and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to have a conversation."
 The reason Democratic Party members of the Agriculture Committee are pursuing a party-government meeting is that the Head of Trade Negotiations, Yeo, hinted at the possibility of expanding imports of 'agricultural and livestock products' during the Korea-U.S. negotiation process. Previously, on the 14th, Head Yeo said, "There has never been a trade negotiation with any country where agriculture was not painful, and yet our industrial competitiveness has been strengthened," adding, "I believe strategic judgment is also needed in the agricultural sector."
 Members of the Agriculture Committee are gathering negative opinions on the expansion of imports of U.S. agricultural products. This is because most of their constituencies are in rural areas. Democratic Party member Im Mi-ae said in an interview with MBC on the 16th, "If you are the Head of Trade Negotiations, you should be persuading and negotiating with the U.S., so why are you trying to persuade and negotiate with the public even before starting?" adding, "It was suspicious and very inappropriate as it seemed to leave plenty of room for negotiation from the start."
 Opposition from farmer organizations is intensifying. Organizations such as the Korea Agricultural and Livestock Federation have announced a press conference in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 18th. Choi Heung-sik, Chairman of the Korea Agricultural and Livestock Federation, recently said, "Last year, the import amount of U.S. agricultural and livestock products was about 9.5 billion dollars, and the export amount was about 1.5 billion dollars, resulting in a trade deficit of about 8 billion dollars with the U.S.," adding, "If our demands are ignored, we will respond with a nationwide farmer struggle." The National Korean Beef Association also said, "By next year, the tariff on U.S. beef will be 0%, and the market share of U.S. products, which have a price advantage over other countries, will expand further."
 Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Trade Barriers Report (NTE), non-tariff barriers on agricultural and livestock products include △regulations on imports of U.S. beef over 30 months old △quarantine procedures for plant import risk analysis (IRA) for apples, pears, potatoes, etc. △approval procedures for genetically modified organisms (LMO) △further opening of the rice market. Previously, on the 7th, U.S. President Donald Trump sent a 'tariff letter' to President Lee Jae-myung, postponing the imposition of a 25% reciprocal tariff on Korean imports scheduled for the 9th to August 1st, while demanding the removal of non-tariff barriers. junjun@fnnews.com Choi Yong-jun Reporter