The Death of Cancún: Lee Kyung-hae, a Martyr for Agricultural Opening Protests

Born in 1947, Lee Kyung-hae was once hailed as a "Farmer of the Year" by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 1989 and recognized by the South Korean government as a key figure in the future of agriculture. He transformed abandoned land into a thriving ranch in North Jeolla Province and was noted as a successor farmer in the 1980s.

However, the global shift towards agricultural market liberalization in the late 1980s drastically altered his circumstances. The influx of Australian beef caused cattle prices to plummet, forcing Lee's ranch to close. In 1990, he traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to protest agricultural globalization through a suicide attempt, though he survived.

“

Since mass imports, our small farmers have never received more than their production costs.

Lee continued his fight against agricultural market opening. He was elected to the North Jeolla Provincial Council in 1991, becoming a voice for farmers. He participated in hunger strikes in 1994 and 2000. Despite his activism, the wave of globalization proved powerful. In 1993, President Kim Young-sam partially opened the rice market, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 1995. South Korea gained access to manufacturing markets in exchange for opening its agricultural sector.

“

The WTO is killing farmers.

In February and March 2003, Lee staged hunger strikes at the WTO headquarters in Geneva. In September, during a ministerial meeting in Cancún, Mexico, Lee climbed a barricade to protest, stating, "Since mass imports, our small farmers have never received more than their production costs." He added, "The WTO is killing farmers." He then took his own life with a knife, leaving a note in his diary: "My body will leave, but my soul will continue to watch."

Lee Kyung-hae's death became international news, with international farmer organizations designating September 10th, the day of his death, as an International Day of Action. However, South Korea's agricultural policies remained unchanged during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Over the subsequent two decades, South Korea became one of the biggest beneficiaries of globalization. While acknowledging this economic success, the article notes that the rural population and food self-sufficiency rate in South Korea have halved. The author reflects that the improved lives of urban dwellers might have come at the cost of rural vitality and pride, a thought that leads to a poignant remembrance of Lee Kyung-hae.

“

My body will leave, but my soul will continue to watch.