| This study attempts to understand the food security problem in South Korea,how South Korea treats it and how it has responded to it,and why South Korea has such a food security situation.Therefore,this article will analyze the historical trajectory of South Korean agriculture and the causes of its problems.This paper finds that due to the lack of natural endowment such as arable land,national food security has been the subject of long-term concern in South Korea.In the 1960 s,in order to avoid the sharp deterioration of the comparative advantage of South Korea’s agricultural sector,South Korea launched a large-scale agricultural self-sufficiency movement-the New Village Movement;Before that,in order to meet the requirements of capital formation in the early stage of industrialization,South Korea adopted negative policies on agriculture.By 1986,the Uruguay Round negotiations had begun.Even though South Korea was forced to open the agricultural product market in the Uruguay agreement,it also carried out almost strict trade protection measures for staple rice.However,South Korea’s efforts for food security have been limited.Under the development projects of industrialized countries,the importance of agriculture has been placed behind industry.Even in the wave of neo-liberalism in the 1980 s,import instead of self-production has been used to defend "food security".The logic is that the government believes that the cost of import is far less than the cost of developing agriculture with great limitations.Imported food is a more economic choice.During this period,the United States-led international food system has played a catalytic role.Its food aid has even profoundly changed the Korean food culture,planting the seeds of food imports at the end of consumer choice.The farmers’ movement in South Korea is anti-American and anti-agricultural market opening.Their efforts have obtained the protective subsidies of the South Korean government for agriculture,but they cannot play an important role in national decision-making.The paper includes five chapters: The first chapter combs the relevant definitions of the paper,including the definition of the concept of food security,as well as the special concept of food security in South Korea.The second chapter combs the historical development of food security in South Korea.The third chapter analyzes the problems affecting food security in South Korea and their causes,and expounds the emergence of food security in South Korea from five aspects: international food system,government role,domestic industrial and agricultural connection,agricultural problems,and farmers’ movement.The fourth chapter introduces the current response policies of the Korean government.Chapter 5 summarizes the full text. |
