[On-site Video+] "Supply Stabilization Forecast After November When Kim Jang-cheol Comes in Full swing"

[Anchor]
The government and the ruling party discussed countermeasures to stabilize the price of kimchi vegetables ahead of the full-fledged kimchi-making season.

It is expected to announce the results of the discussion, including stabilizing the supply of 14 kimchi ingredients such as cabbage and radish, supporting discounts for consumers, and providing discount information.

Let's go to the scene.

[Kim Sang Hoon / People's Power Policy Committee Chairman]
Today, the Democratic Party discussed measures to stabilize the supply and demand of kimchi ingredients.

Ahead of the kimchi-making season, our own cultural event listed as an intangible heritage of humanity, the unprecedented high temperature caused sluggish vegetable growth and concerns about rising prices of kimchi ingredients such as cabbage, so we agreed that early establishment and implementation of measures to stabilize the supply and demand of kimchi ingredients are necessary.

The main ingredients, cabbage and radish, have been sluggish in the early stages of growth due to the continued heat wave in August and September, but the growth has recently improved due to farmers' sweaty efforts and government support, so the supply of kimchi materials is expected to be sufficient this year.

Recently, wholesale prices of cabbage and radish have also been on the decline, so supply is expected to stabilize further after November, when the kimchi-making season begins in earnest. Supplies such as red pepper powder, garlic, green onions, onions, and ginger are also expected to be sufficiently supplied during the kimchi-making season due to favorable supply conditions, and the current price is lower than last year.

In addition, consumer prices of seafood such as sea salt, salted shrimp, and anchovy fish sauce remain lower than the previous year.

It is a measure to stabilize the supply and demand of kimchi ingredients. In order to stably supply kimchi ingredients and ease the burden on consumers, the Democratic Party will promote the following measures to stabilize the supply and demand of kimchi ingredients.

First, we will expand the supply of kimchi ingredients to the market as much as possible by utilizing government stockpiles and contract cultivation supplies. Cabbage will supply 24,000 tons of Nonghyup contract cultivation, up 10% from last year, and the government will stock 1,000 tons at all times to flexibly supply them according to market conditions to prevent imbalances.

will supply 9,100 tons of Nonghyup contract cultivation, up 14% from last year, and provide discounts directly to consumption areas such as traditional markets and marts.

In the case of spices, 500 tons of domestic garlic and onions will be supplied to wholesale markets, and 5,000 tons of sea salt will be supplied at a discount directly to consumption areas such as traditional markets and marts.

The government will lower the burden on consumers by investing the budget for discount supporting agricultural and fishery products and providing discounts for kimchi ingredients up to 50%.

When purchasing kimchi ingredients at large discount stores and traditional markets, government support and company's own discounts will be added to provide discounts of up to 40% for agricultural products and up to 50% for fisheries products.

Agricultural products will be sold at up to 40% off at 18,300 stores nationwide, including large, small and medium-sized marts and traditional markets, and fisheries products will be sold at up to 50% off sea salt, salted fish, and oysters, which are kimjang ingredients, through Korea Fisheries Festa.

In addition, we will provide information on kimjang, such as major discount events and places of purchase, so that consumers can purchase kimjang materials at low prices, and strengthen safety management through distribution of illegal information of the origin of kimjang materials and inspection of residual pesticides.

The Democratic Party of Korea plans to continue to check and communicate with the people so that they do not give up making kimchi due to the burden of households. This year, there is no problem with the supply and demand of cabbages and radishes during the kimchi season, and we will also ease the consumer burden on kimchi by expanding supply and supporting discounts.

We decided to prepare measures to stabilize the supply and demand of agricultural products in response to climate change by the end of the year and actively cooperate in promoting detailed tasks. In the end, it is no longer true that the number of Gimpo people that CEO Lee Jae-myung talked about is increasing.

Our consumers can make kimchi as much as they want. Let me briefly introduce the recommendations of the lawmakers who attended today.

Representative Lee Man-hee said that the structure of the profiteering of the agricultural and fishery wholesale market and the reasonable adjustment of the price of the agricultural and fishery wholesale market are necessary. Next, the expansion of the cold storage is necessary. It is necessary to expand the low-temperature storage, and the producer's burden is too high for this.