Agriculture in Korea 2010

Abstract

Over the past four decades or so, the Republic of Korea hasrecorded an unprecedented economic growth. However, at the sameperiod, its rapid industrialization and urbanization posed seriouschallenges to Korean rural areas, including rapid decrease and aging ofthe farming population and widening income gap between urban andrural areas. In the case of Korean agriculture, the 1950s was a periodwhen the staple grain rice was in short supply as the industry relied ontraditional agriculture. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, the industrywas able to lay down the ground for supplying the staple grain on itsown through technical innovation. In the 1980s and 1990s, the industrysaw the birth of modern agriculture, and it is shifting toward an ecofriendlyhigh-tech agriculture in the 2000s. In recent years, Koreanagriculture is faced with various problems, such as aging andworsening financial situation of farmers and underdevelopment of farmvillages amid increasing opening of the domestic market to foreignagricultural products due to free trade agreements.Korea Rural Economic Institute published Agriculture in Korea in1999 and Agriculture in Korea 2008 in 2008 with revisions. One of themain purposes of publishing this manuscript series is to explain whichroles Korean agriculture has played and how agricultural policies havechanged in the economic development process. The publicationreviews the current situation and problems in each sector of Koreanagriculture and seeks to find their solutions. Also, it aims to helpreaders outside of Korea to better understand Korean agriculture byintroducing and explaining the internal and external roles of theindustry and the direction it is headed in the age of globalization.Correct understanding of Korean agriculture will greatly help mitigatefrictions with trading partners externally and reach consensus onagricultural policies at home.

Over the past four decades or so, the Republic of Korea hasrecorded an unprecedented economic growth. However, at the sameperiod, its rapid industrialization and urbanization posed seriouschallenges to Korean rural areas, including rapid decrease and aging ofthe farming population and widening income gap between urban andrural areas. In the case of Korean agriculture, the 1950s was a periodwhen the staple grain rice was in short supply as the industry relied ontraditional agriculture. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, the industrywas able to lay down the ground for supplying the staple grain on itsown through technical innovation. In the 1980s and 1990s, the industrysaw the birth of modern agriculture, and it is shifting toward an ecofriendlyhigh-tech agriculture in the 2000s. In recent years, Koreanagriculture is faced with various problems, such as aging andworsening financial situation of farmers and underdevelopment of farmvillages amid increasing opening of the domestic market to foreignagricultural products due to free trade agreements.Korea Rural Economic Institute published Agriculture in Korea in1999 and Agriculture in Korea 2008 in 2008 with revisions. One of themain purposes of publishing this manuscript series is to explain whichroles Korean agriculture has played and how agricultural policies havechanged in the economic development process. The publicationreviews the current situation and problems in each sector of Koreanagriculture and seeks to find their solutions. Also, it aims to helpreaders outside of Korea to better understand Korean agriculture byintroducing and explaining the internal and external roles of theindustry and the direction it is headed in the age of globalization.Correct understanding of Korean agriculture will greatly help mitigatefrictions with trading partners externally and reach consensus onagricultural policies at home.