[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the interim results of a special audit of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) on January 8, 2026, revealing excessive spending on overseas travel expenses by NACF Chairman Kang Ho-dong, sparking widespread controversy over wasteful spending on public funds. Chairman Kang, currently under police investigation for bribery, is facing increasing criticism amidst discussions on NACF reform.

Exceeded travel expenses, breaking the limit on all five occasions

Chairman Kang Ho-dong was found to have exceeded the accommodation allowance (US$250 per night, approximately 360,000 won) on five overseas business trips, wasting a total of 40 million won in public funds. The excess per night ranged from a minimum of 500,000 won to a maximum of 1.86 million won, with the highest case being a stay in a five-star hotel suite, resulting in a per-night spending of approximately 2.22 million won ($250 + 1.86 million won).

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is considering a recovery plan, citing "wasteful practices of exceeding the upper limit without specifying a specific reason.

A bribe of 100 million won was accepted, and a travel ban and search and seizure were conducted

Chairman Kang Ho-dong is accused of receiving over 100 million won in cash as bribes on two occasions from the head of an affiliated transaction service provider during the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) presidential election in late 2023. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit raided his headquarters office on October 15, 2025, and banned him from leaving the country on October 29.

Police have discovered evidence that the company CEO offered bribes in exchange for business favors, and the investigation is expanding to include analysis of financial flows and call records. Chairman Kang apologized during the parliamentary audit, saying, "I apologize for causing concern," but his refusal to answer questions in person during the audit further fueled the controversy. His 800 million won annual salary

Chairman Kang, a non-executive chairman of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF), also serves as the full-time chairman of the Nongmin Newspaper, receiving a total compensation of nearly 800 million won annually. As of 2024, he received a maximum of 810.2 million won, including 318 million won from the NACF (actual expenses + agricultural policy allowance), 191 million won from the Nongmin Newspaper, and performance-based bonuses. Next year, these amounts will increase to 390 million won and 400 million won, respectively. Upon retirement, he will receive separate severance pay from the Nongmin Newspaper (323 million won from his predecessor) and severance pay from the Nongmin Newspaper (420 million won from his predecessor), bringing his total compensation to 4 billion won over four years. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to reexamine the appropriateness of this practice of holding multiple positions.

Indiscriminate execution of 1.08 billion won in direct rewards, expanding audits

The execution of direct bonuses (equivalent to awards) for executives, including Chairman Kang, was also pointed out as a problem. The 2024 central chairman's direct bonus alone was 1.08 billion won, totaling 1.3 billion won. However, due to unclear payment criteria, the payment was made without restrictions. Operational expenses were allocated under the name of the secretary's office to avoid disclosure, but this was deemed a violation of the Public Institutions Information Disclosure Act. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is conducting additional audits to investigate 38 cases, including violations of the Anti-Corruption and Bribery Act, and is considering requesting an investigation.