(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Han Ju-hong = Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong said on the 1st that she will make the new year the first year of "agricultural policy transformation" and push forward five key tasks to make rural areas the cornerstone of balanced national development. Minister Song stated in the New Year's message, "Our agriculture is facing structural changes such as the climate crisis and population decline, while also encountering new opportunities with AI innovation and the K-food wave." To this end, Song outlined five key tasks: ▲ strengthening food security to ensure the safety of the nation's food supply ▲ global expansion of K-food and related industries ▲ strengthening the income and management safety net for farmers ▲ reorganizing rural areas as living, working, and resting places ▲ establishing animal welfare and sustainable livestock industry. Song explained, "To strengthen the care for the nation's food, we will enact the Food Security Act and increase the actual self-sufficiency rate of food through the introduction of a complete labeling system for genetically modified agricultural products (GMOs)." She also mentioned, "To address the food welfare blind spots, we will resume the 'elementary school fruit snack' and 'organic agricultural products package for pregnant women' programs." She also said, "To achieve the 2030 K-food export target of 21 billion dollars (approximately 30.26 trillion won), we will actively push forward the 'Global K-food Export Expansion Strategy'" and promised to build a one-stop support system for exports, support for food tech and smart agriculture, among other things. Regarding support for farmers, Song emphasized, "We will build a thick safety net for farmers' income and management," and mentioned plans to expand public direct payment, introduce a price stabilization act, and strengthen disaster recovery support. Regarding the basic income for rural areas, which will be implemented on a trial basis in 10 counties this year, Song said, "We will lead the regional economic cycle and conduct meticulous empirical research to create an evidence-based innovative policy model." Additionally, Song said, "We will shift the paradigm from an animal protection-focused policy to a policy that truly promotes animal welfare," and mentioned plans to draft the Animal Welfare Basic Act and introduce a public interest standard fee system for pet medical expenses, among other things.