"Immediately Stop Reviewing Imports of US Apples," Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Declares

(Andong=Yonhap News) Lee Seung-hyung, Reporter = The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council declared on the 9th, "The government must immediately halt any review of apple imports in a manner that abandons the minimum principle of protecting domestic agriculture."

The council issued a statement saying, "A newspaper reported on the 5th that the government is positively reviewing the import of US apples as a card in trade negotiations with the United States, which is tantamount to declaring the abandonment of the people's food security and the foundation of regional economy," urging a halt to discussions.

It also stated, "Gyeongbuk is the largest apple-producing region in South Korea, accounting for 62% of the nation's apple production," and "If the government allows the import of US apples as reported in the media, the 20,000 apple-producing farms in Gyeongbuk will collapse, and furthermore, the entire domestic fruit industry will suffer irreparable damage."

Adding, "This is an act of pushing apple-producing farmers, who have already suffered severe damage from massive wildfires and are on the brink due to aging, abnormal climate, and rising production costs, over the cliff," they argued, "The government must declare that no agricultural products can be the subject of trade negotiations."

haru@yna.co.kr