Damyang, Nov 12, 2005 (BBC Monitoring via COMTEX) —
A South Korean farmer-activist opposed to his government’s plans for greater liberalization of the nation’s rice market appears to have committed suicide on Friday [11 November], the eve of the opening of the annual APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] forum on trade liberalization in Pusan, police said Saturday.
The body of Chung Yong-pum, a 38-year-old farmer in Damyang of South Cholla Province, about 350 kilometres south of Seoul, was found at his local town hall Saturday morning. Police said they found an empty bottle of herbicide near Chung’s body, along with what appears to be a suicide note. “I wish this country will become a society where hard working people are respected,” the note reads, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The government must come up with realistic policies for the rice market and the farming industry to allow farmers to live comfortably.”
Police suspect Chung committed suicide on Friday morning, Farmers’ Day in South Korea and the eve of the opening of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Pusan. Chung was a member of the Korean Advanced Farmers Federation, a group of farming activists, and had actively participated in anti-liberalization campaigns, according to his neighbours and the police. They added he even entered a local college last year so as to learn more about agricultural trade problems.
The apparent suicide comes as tension rises between local rice producers and the government over the latter’s plan to grant nine rice exporting countries greater access to the South Korean market. Farmers are becoming increasingly vocal as the National Assembly is expected to soon ratify the import deal that will increase access by rice exporting countries to the South Korean market from 4 per cent of domestic consumption to 7.96 per cent by 2014.
The police said they feared Chung’s apparent suicide could further antagonize local farmers and cast a shadow over the festivities surrounding the opening of the APEC forum. The 21 leaders of APEC’s member economies are scheduled to attend a Nov. 18-19 summit and call for greater liberalization of global trade, including the agricultural and service sectors. Born in the southwestern town, Chung had worked as a farmer since graduating high school.
He had been attending a nearby community college since last year and was elected to head the student body at the beginning of this year, according to his relatives and friends. He had also been serving as the head of his village.
Sources:
http://news.tradingcharts.com/futures/4/5/72326854.html
Yonhap news agency, Seoul, in English 1337 gmt 12 Nov 05
BBC Mon AS1 AsPol sg
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