New Agricultural Land Law Mandates Leasing for Non-Operating Owners

 

Owners of inherited or abandoned farmland must now lease their land to the Korea Rural Community Corporation under a new agricultural land law that has passed the National Assembly. Additionally, local governments are required to issue disposal orders for any violations of the Agricultural Land Law.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the revised law aims to support comprehensive land surveys and promote efficient land use. The amendment eliminates the maximum size limit (10,000 square meters) for farmland owned by non-farmers, preventing further fragmentation of agricultural land. It mandates that such land be leased to the Korea Rural Community Corporation.
The law also expands the permissible uses of agricultural land to include 'agricultural and rural experience facilities' and 'agricultural solar power installations.' Furthermore, the use of amenities like bathhouses and cold shelters in agricultural promotion areas is now allowed for both farmers and rural residents.
Enforcement of the law will be stricter, with local governments now required to issue disposal orders for violations, a shift from previous discretionary authority. The law also prevents landowners from evading regulations by selling to close relatives or corporations they represent.
If local governments fail to manage compliance, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will have the authority to issue disposal orders directly. The revised law will be implemented gradually following approval from the Cabinet.
Yoon Won-seop, the agricultural policy director at the ministry, stated, "With the passage of this law, we are prepared for thorough land surveys to ensure that farmland is preserved as a means of production for farmers, not as a target for speculation."