Lee, farmers at odds over farmland survey, trade pact

President Lee Jae Myung's attempt to placate angry farmers over the nationwide farmland survey proved futile, as the administration's motives behind the initiative continue to raise suspicion. Korea's potential membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has added complexity to the situation. While joining the trade pact is crucial for the country's outward-looking economy, it could negatively impact farmers.

A town hall meeting on Monday proved unproductive, if not a failure, as President Lee remained indecisive about the CPTPP and evasive in his explanation of the farmland survey. He even tried to shift responsibility for the controversial policy, implying that a confrontation with farmers might be unavoidable.

Farmers take the survey seriously, perceiving it as a direct threat to their livelihoods. They dread the possibility of being compelled to sell their land against their will. The Lee administration's farmland survey has become one of the most contentious policies in his presidency, exacerbating the decline in the president's approval ratings. The survey itself, however, is not entirely uncontested.