How much has South Korea budgeted for farmers’ public interest direct payments and rural basic income next year?

The government earmarked more than 3 trillion won for public interest direct payments, the first time that budget has passed the 3 trillion-won mark. It increased the rural basic income budget from about 300 billion won to more than 1.1 trillion won.

What new income and retirement support is the government preparing for farmers?

The government is preparing to introduce a retirement pension for farmers. It also plans to keep increasing the rural basic income budget after raising it to more than 1.1 trillion won for next year.

How will the government expand solar-powered income villages and modernize farming?

The government plans to expand the sunshine income village initiative from 500 locations to 3,000 by 2030. Han also said it would invest in physical AI, including AI-powered agricultural machinery and farming robots, and put 1.3 trillion won into innovation across production, supply and demand, and distribution.

PM pledges to create better environment for farmers

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Summary

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook pledged Wednesday at a Farmers’ Day ceremony to improve conditions for farmers, citing record farming support in next year’s budget. The government has earmarked more than 3 trillion won for public interest direct payments and increased the rural basic income budget to more than 1.1 trillion won. Han said it would invest 1.3 trillion won in agricultural structural innovation and expand the sunshine income village initiative to 3,000 locations by 2030. She also highlighted smart farming and physical AI as priorities.

Key Facts

The public interest direct payment budget will exceed 3 trillion won for the first time.
The rural basic income budget rose from about 300 billion won to more than 1.1 trillion won for next year.
The government is preparing to introduce a retirement pension for farmers.
The sunshine income village initiative, which generates revenue through solar power, is planned to grow from 500 locations to 3,000 by 2030.
Han said investment in physical AI would include AI-powered agricultural machinery and farming robots.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 11, 2026 2:46 pm KST

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook delivers an address during a Farmers' Day ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday. Yonhap

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook pledged Wednesday to create a better environment for farmers, saying the government has set aside the largest-ever budget for farming for next year.

Han said in an address at a Farmers' Day ceremony that the government has earmarked more than 3 trillion won ($2.2 billion) in subsidies for farmers, known as "public interest direct payment," the first time the budget has exceeded the 3 trillion-won mark.

She also said the government more than tripled the budget for the rural basic income from some 300 billion won to more than 1.1 trillion won for next year and will keep increasing the budget going forward. The government is also preparing to introduce retirement pension for farmers, she said.

"The president said last month that agriculture is a national security industry and a strategic industry that is essential to the survival of the Republic of Korea," Han said. "First of all, I believe that creating an environment where farmers can work with peace of mind is crucial for safeguarding agricultural security."

Han said the government plans to invest 1.3 trillion won in structural innovation across production, supply and demand, and distribution to strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural sector, and will try to expand the "sunshine income village" initiative, which generates revenue through solar power, from the current 500 locations to 3,000 by 2030.

"Expanding smart farming is of vital importance for the future," she said. "By investing in physical AI, such as AI-powered agricultural machinery and farming robots, we can prepare for the future of our agricultural sector."

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