One hundred fifty-five individuals who contributed to the development of agriculture and rural areas will receive government awards on the 31st Farmers' Day. The highest honor, the Gold Tower Medal, was awarded to Park Yoon-gang, auditor of the Korea Future Farmers Association, for his contributions to fostering successor farmers and enhancing the rights of agricultural workers.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs held the 31st Farmers' Day celebration on November 11 at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation auditorium in Seoul. The event, themed 'Walking Together with Farmers Today, Opening Tomorrow for Rural Areas,' was attended by over 500 people, including Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung, Chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Kang Ho-dong, and Chairman of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee Seo Sam-seok.
Farmers' Day was established on November 11, inspired by the Chinese character for soil (土), which is composed of the characters for ten (十) and one (一). It was designated as a legal commemorative day in 1996 to honor the hard work of farmers who produce food for the nation and protect rural communities.
This year, a total of 155 awards will be presented for contributions to agricultural and rural development, including eight Industrial Medals, ten Industrial Decorations, 32 Presidential Citations, 40 Prime Minister's Citations, and 65 Ministerial Citations.
Park Yoon-gang, who received the Gold Tower Medal, was recognized for his efforts in amending laws related to fostering successor farmers and increasing the value of agricultural product gifts. Baek Seok-hwan received the Silver Tower Medal, while Park Cheol-wan, CEO of Dasol Agricultural Corporation, received the Bronze Tower Medal.
The Bronze Tower Medal was awarded to Jeon Byeong-soon, representative of the Gwangbok Agricultural Cooperative, Han Gi-woong, chairman of the Gyeongnam Livestock Association, and Jeong Han-gil, a farmer. Kang Eun-joo, auditor of the Korea Women Farmers Association, and Heo Jeong-cheol, CEO of Saesaengmyeong Farm, received the Stone Tower Medal.
Last year's 30th Farmers' Day event was held in Wonju, Gangwon Province, the birthplace of the commemorative day, with approximately 3,000 attendees and 157 individuals selected for awards.
The ceremony included a reading of a resolution by farmer representatives and a commemorative performance. Attendees reflected on the dedication of farmers and expressed their commitment to creating sustainable agriculture and rural areas.
Following the ceremony, agricultural organizations and attendees marched approximately 1.2 kilometers from the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation to the event area in front of Donghwa Duty-Free Shop. At the Donghwa Duty-Free Shop, booths were set up by agricultural organizations to promote and sample local agricultural products.
Minister Song Mi-ryung stated, 'I sincerely congratulate all those receiving government awards today. I appreciate the dedication of farmers and will continue to work with them to create policies that allow farmers to focus on their work with peace of mind.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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