The election for the chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation will shift to a direct vote from 2028, with about 1.87 million members nationwide taking part.
The Democratic Party and the government on Tuesday announced the overhaul after a party-government meeting.
The change will replace an indirect vote by 1,110 cooperative heads with a one-member, one-vote system, aimed at broadening representation and preventing vote-buying.
Under the direct vote system, about 1.87 million members will have voting rights after excluding duplicate members. It will apply from the next chairman election in March 2028. The chairman's term will be shortened to three years from four. From 2031, the election is set to be held alongside the nationwide simultaneous elections for cooperative heads.
Ahead of the introduction, an overhaul of ineligible members and a full survey will also be carried out in parallel.
The plan is to remove ineligible members who are not farmers or do not meet address or residence requirements. It will also conduct a survey across all cooperatives and institutionalise related procedures.
Ji-young Lee
ljy@d-today.co.kr