Seoul, Nov 13 (IANS): South Korea's agricultural ministry said on Wednesday that it will continue efforts to address the dwindling population in rural regions by bolstering medical infrastructure and improving farmers' welfare.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs outlined the initiative in a report marking the start of the second half of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, noting that it aims to expand the social safety net in rural areas to combat the ongoing population exodus, Yonhap news agency reported.

"During the past two-and-a-half years, there have been many achievements, but there are still pressing issues, including rice supply instability, the population crisis in rural regions and climate change," Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung said.

"The government will address the changing climate and demographic environment to transform the agricultural sector into a new growth engine and transform rural areas into a land of opportunity for the people," she added.

The ministry, meanwhile, noted that South Korea has maintained stable growth in food exports this year, which reached a record high of $8.2 billion during the January-October period.

It also highlighted progress in taming inflation in agricultural products, with consumer prices in the sector rising 1.1 per cent on-year in October, compared with a 9.8 per cent increase in May.