‘Soybean GPT’ lands South Korea’s agriculture ministry in awkward situation

South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs found itself in an awkward position after errors were discovered in data presented during a government briefing that had earlier been publicly praised by President Lee Jae-myung.

At the meeting on Dec. 11, food policy director Byun Sang-moon quickly cited figures on GM soybean imports, domestic production and self-sufficiency rates, earning presidential praise and the nickname “Soybean GPT.” However, agricultural sector experts later flagged discrepancies in the statistics.

Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung acknowledged the inaccuracies, explaining that the official had misunderstood some of the president’s questions. She clarified that domestic soybean output in 2025 is expected to reach 160,000–170,000 tonnes, not 83,000 tonnes as previously stated.

The minister also corrected remarks on imported corn, noting that not all corn used for food products is non-GM, although some processed products are exempt from GM labelling because genetically modified components do not remain in the final goods.

In addition, the ministry revised figures for soybean oil imports, saying last year’s volume was about 910,000 tonnes rather than 1 million tonnes. Song said the episode would be used to improve policy accuracy and official communications despite the director’s willingness to respond without prepared notes.

Tags: South Korea, soybean, AI