The Rural Development Administration, along with several National Assembly members and the Democratic Party’s Special Committee on Industrial Accident Prevention, hosted a National Assembly forum on December 12 to discuss ways to improve the safety and health of farmers. Experts from academia, industry, and government, as well as representatives from farmers’ organizations, attended the forum to discuss the direction of policies for the safety of farmers and agricultural workers.
Jo Sung-ho, Director of the Agricultural Policy Research Center, presented on the current status of farmer safety and health and the need for legal and institutional improvements. He emphasized the necessity of strengthening laws and regulations related to farmer safety and health to reduce agricultural work accidents.
Professor Kim Hyo-chul from the National Korea Agro-Fisheries University presented on the application of industrial safety and health management systems to the agricultural sector. He explained that due to the unique characteristics of agricultural work, the aging farming population, and the structural limitations of small-scale farms, it is difficult to apply general industrial safety and health management systems to agriculture. He also suggested improving preventive laws and regulations, strengthening the capabilities of dedicated personnel, and expanding financial support.
Rural Development Administration Commissioner Lee Seung-don stated in his opening remarks that the administration has established a strategy to reduce the agricultural work fatality rate by 20% and is currently implementing it. He also mentioned efforts to develop and distribute smart safety technologies, provide standardized safety education, and support preemptive safety inspections and management improvements tailored to farms.