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The position of General Planning Team Leader (director-level) at the Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Policy (PCAF) will be opened to civilian experts.

The role has traditionally been a rotating post filled by directors from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The committee has held multiple consultations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety regarding the transition of the General Planning Team Leader position into a fixed-term post for civilian experts.

An official from the presidential committee stated on May 26, "Following exhaustive consultations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, we have reached a mutual agreement to open the General Planning Team Leader position to civilian experts on a term-basis."

While the committee has successfully resolved its coordination with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, it still faces one final hurdle: securing clearance from the Ministry of Planning and Budget for the transition.

The committee is currently negotiating with the Ministry of Planning and Budget regarding financial allocations, including labor and operational expenses. It plans to initiate a public recruitment process for the leadership role as soon as budgetary consultations are finalized.

"The public recruitment process could begin as early as the first week of June," the committee official added. Meanwhile, ahead of the official job posting, a figure from the National Hakko (All-Nation) Peasant Federation—commonly known as Jeonnong—has been heavily rumored within agricultural circles as a leading candidate for the position.

An agricultural industry insider remarked, "We are aware that an individual affiliated with Jeonnong is being prominently mentioned for the General Planning Team Leader role."

                                                                                                              Jo Sang-eun