60th Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; former Vice Minister of Agriculture and head of the Rural Development Administration
| Life | 1948 |
| Era | 현대 |
| Clan | 달성 서씨 |
Seo Gyu-yong (徐圭龍, born 9 January 1948) is a South Korean civil servant of the Dalseong Seo clan. A graduate of Cheongju High School and Korea University's agriculture department, he also studied at the US Department of Agriculture graduate school. He passed the national technical civil service examination in 1972 and began his career in 1973 at the National Agricultural Products Inspection Office, going on to serve as director of the field-crops, vegetables and agricultural-products divisions, head of the National Seed Supply Office, and director-general for agricultural policy review, agriculture and horticulture, and food production.
He was Assistant Minister of Agriculture from December 1999 to April 2001, became the 16th head of the Rural Development Administration in April 2001, and in February 2002 the 42nd Vice Minister of Agriculture. After leaving the civil service he worked as an adjunct professor at Korea University, president of the Korea Farmers and Fishermen Newspaper, head of the Chungbuk Agricultural Research Institute and president of the Local Food Movement Headquarters, active in regional food and agricultural policy. In 2009 he chaired the Korea Regional Brand Forum.
He served as the 60th Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs from June 2011 to March 2013. Afterwards he chaired the National Food Safety Movement Headquarters, the Chungbuk Development Policy Institute and served as adviser to the Korea Senior Citizens Association, and is reported to have been a preliminary candidate for North Chungcheong governor for the Saenuri Party in 2014. He received a Prime Minister's Citation in 1980, the Green Stripes Service Order in 1991 and the Yellow Stripes Service Order in 1996, and published the autobiography Kkumi Itneun Goseseo Huimangi Itda. As a living person, only public records are given and family and private matters are omitted.
As director-general for agriculture and horticulture (1998-1999) and food production he handled working-level crop, horticulture and food-production policy, and he moved between the field and academia as adjunct professor at Korea University (2006-2007), head of the Chungbuk Agricultural Research Institute (2008-2011) and president of the Local Food Movement Headquarters (2009-2011).
He passed the national technical examination in 1972, worked across agricultural administration and served as assistant minister, head of the Rural Development Administration and vice minister of agriculture.
He served as the 60th minister from June 2011 to March 2013.
He chaired the National Food Safety Movement Headquarters and received the Green Stripes (1991) and Yellow Stripes (1996) Service Orders.