Farmers march through Seoul on Agriculture Day as 155 honored for contributions

Farmers marched through central Seoul on Wednesday to mark the 31st Agriculture Day, drawing attention to the importance of farming. A total of 155 people who contributed to the development of agriculture and rural communities received government commendations, and an event was held to share food made from domestic produce with the public.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held the 31st Agriculture Day ceremony at the main auditorium of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation headquarters in Seoul and in the area in front of Dongwha Duty-Free. More than 500 people attended, including Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong, National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee Chairman Seo Sam-seok, Special Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Communities Chairman Kim Ho, and representatives of farming organizations.

This year's event was held under the theme "Today we walk with farmers, tomorrow rural communities will open." The ceremony honoring farmers' dedication was followed by a march through central Seoul by farming organizations and attendees, who joined citizens in celebrating Agriculture Day.

A total of 155 people received government commendations for contributions to agriculture and rural development this year — eight industrial medals, 10 industrial citations, 32 presidential commendations, 40 prime ministerial commendations and 65 ministerial commendations from the Agriculture Ministry. At the ceremony, Prime Minister Han personally presented awards to 12 honorees, including the eight industrial medal recipients.

Park Yun-gang, an auditor at the Korean Successor Farmers' Central Federation, received the Gold Tower Industrial Medal, the highest honor. Park was recognized for contributions including efforts to revise legislation on cultivating successor farmers and raising the gift value ceiling for agricultural products.

Baek Seok-hwan, a farmer, received the Silver Tower Industrial Medal, while Park Cheol-wan, chief executive of Dasol Agricultural Corporation, received the Bronze Tower Industrial Medal. The Iron Tower Industrial Medal went to Jeon Byeong-sun, head of Gwangbok Agricultural Cooperative, Han Gi-ung, chairman of the South Gyeongsang Province Livestock Organizations Council, and farmer Jeong Han-gil. Kang Eun-ju, an auditor at the Korean Women Farmers' Central Federation, and Heo Jeong-cheol, head of Saesaengmyeong Farm, received the Stone Tower Industrial Medal.

After the ceremony, farming organizations and attendees marched roughly 1.2 kilometers from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation headquarters to the area in front of Dongwha Duty-Free. A traditional farmers' music band led the procession, and a pinwheel-planting performance was also held at the venue.

At a side-event area in front of Dongwha Duty-Free, booths offered tastings, hands-on activities and promotional displays featuring domestic agricultural products. In a nod to the date, the event was tied to Garaetteok Day — a celebration linked to Nov. 11 — with 1,111 servings of tteokbokki and fish cake distributed to the public to encourage rice consumption.

Agriculture Day falls on Nov. 11 because the Chinese character for soil is composed of the characters for the numbers 10 and 1. The day was designated a statutory commemorative day in 1996 to honor the efforts of farmers who produce food for the nation and sustain rural communities.

"I sincerely congratulate everyone who received a government commendation today," Agriculture Minister Song said. "I am grateful for farmers' dedication, and we will continue to develop policy together with those on the ground so that farmers can focus on their work with peace of mind."