Strategic Improvements to Korea's Public Grain Stockpiling Policy for Food Security: A Critical Infrastructure Perspective

This study aims to propose strategic improvements to Korea's public grain stockpiling policy to enhance food security, focusing on critical infrastructure elements. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption of global grain supply chains, exacerbated by major events such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, food security has gained heightened global importance. Korea, facing similar challenges, requires a fundamental national strategy to safeguard its food supply. The government has initiated several public grain stockpiling policies, including the Mid-to-Long-Term Food Security Reinforcement Plan. This study evaluates these policies by analyzing three key aspects of critical infrastructure— function, facility, and system. Based on the analysis, the study identifies essential tasks for the Korean government: 1) fostering public-private cooperation by providing specific incentives for private sector involvement, rather than relying solely on voluntary participation; 2) designating public grain stockpiling facilities as critical infrastructure and ensuring their systematic management; and 3) establishing clear operational guidelines within the existing legal framework to effectively meet stockpiling goals and manage the system.