▲ Rep. Park Hong-keun (R), the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, speaks at a party meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on April 14, 2023. (Yonhap)

main opposition-grain bill

Main opposition vows to come up with alternative bill replacing vetoed grain bill

SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) vowed Friday to come up with new legislation replacing a now-scrapped bill requiring the government to buy up surplus rice after the bill failed to pass through the National Assembly in a revote following President Yoon Suk Yeol's veto.

Rep. Park Hong-keun, the DP's floor leader, made the remarks, a day after the revision to the Grain Management Act was scrapped after failing to win two-thirds support in a National Assembly vote held after Yoon vetoed the legislation.

"We are not giving up. We will make sure without fail to normalize the Grain Management Act through follow-up legislation," Park said, criticizing Yoon and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) for rejecting the bill even though public support for it is higher than objections.

The DP has argued the vetoed bill can protect farmers and stabilize rice prices, as rice demand has been on a steady decline due mainly to changes in diet and eating habits.

But critics say the legislation is a short-sighted populist policy aimed at wooing farmer voters ahead of next year's general elections, stressing the measure would end up worsening overproduction and causing rice prices to fall further.

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