The government has classified 27% of the farmland surveyed nationwide as areas suspected of violating farmland laws. Notably, 21% of all farmland is suspected of illegal leasing, where owners are not actively farming despite being registered as self-cultivators.
On July 30, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the progress of the "National Farmland Survey and Future Plans" at the Government Sejong Complex. The ministry plans to complete the basic farmland survey by the end of this month and begin in-depth investigations next month.
Since starting the basic survey in May, the government has completed assessments on 97% of the targeted area, covering 1.32 million hectares (10.13 million parcels) as of July 29. A total of 5,313 public officials and 2,964 private surveyors participated in the basic survey.
According to the results, 27.0% (2.84 million parcels) of farmland is suspected of violations, including illegal leasing, illegal conversion, and unauthorized fallowing. Specifically, the breakdown is as follows: 21.1% suspected of illegal leasing, 11.6% suspected of unauthorized fallowing, 9.0% suspected of illegal conversion, and 1.4% for violations of ownership restrictions.
Illegal leasing is identified when farmland is registered as self-cultivated but lacks records of essential agricultural purchases like fertilizers and tax-exempt fuel. Unauthorized fallowing occurs when farmland is not cultivated and has turned into forest land. Cases of illegal conversion are noted when facilities are installed without proper conversion permits, and ownership restriction violations are identified when non-farming heirs own more than 1 hectare.
Sejong City reported the highest number of suspected violations. Yoon Won-seop, Director of Agricultural Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated during the briefing, "By region, Sejong, Jeju, and Gangwon have the most suspected violations based on parcel counts. The metropolitan area is entirely subject to in-depth investigations, so we did not conduct actual farming-related surveys there, resulting in fewer suspected violations."
The government will begin in-depth investigations into suspected farmland law violations and farmland in the metropolitan area next month. The in-depth investigations will proceed in two phases: field surveys and supplementary investigations. The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, which specializes in actual farming investigations, will also be involved in the in-depth surveys.
The first phase, the field survey, will involve officials and surveyors visiting farmland to directly verify usage. However, in difficult-to-access areas such as islands and mountainous regions, drones, aerial, and satellite imagery will be utilized.
The second phase, the supplementary investigation, will focus on confirming illegal leasing and other issues that are hard to verify on-site. This will include requesting documentation from landowners and employing interviews and inquiries.
The government has promised strict action against violations. However, it plans to implement guidance measures for elderly farmers who may have to leave land fallow due to health issues or for farmers who exchange land for mutual cultivation.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung stated, "The comprehensive survey aims to accurately assess the overall farmland situation to enhance productivity and strengthen the future agricultural foundation. Farmers actively cultivating their fields need not worry excessively about the farmland survey."
On July 30, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the progress of the "National Farmland Survey and Future Plans" at the Government Sejong Complex. The ministry plans to complete the basic farmland survey by the end of this month and begin in-depth investigations next month.
Since starting the basic survey in May, the government has completed assessments on 97% of the targeted area, covering 1.32 million hectares (10.13 million parcels) as of July 29. A total of 5,313 public officials and 2,964 private surveyors participated in the basic survey.
According to the results, 27.0% (2.84 million parcels) of farmland is suspected of violations, including illegal leasing, illegal conversion, and unauthorized fallowing. Specifically, the breakdown is as follows: 21.1% suspected of illegal leasing, 11.6% suspected of unauthorized fallowing, 9.0% suspected of illegal conversion, and 1.4% for violations of ownership restrictions.
Illegal leasing is identified when farmland is registered as self-cultivated but lacks records of essential agricultural purchases like fertilizers and tax-exempt fuel. Unauthorized fallowing occurs when farmland is not cultivated and has turned into forest land. Cases of illegal conversion are noted when facilities are installed without proper conversion permits, and ownership restriction violations are identified when non-farming heirs own more than 1 hectare.
Sejong City reported the highest number of suspected violations. Yoon Won-seop, Director of Agricultural Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated during the briefing, "By region, Sejong, Jeju, and Gangwon have the most suspected violations based on parcel counts. The metropolitan area is entirely subject to in-depth investigations, so we did not conduct actual farming-related surveys there, resulting in fewer suspected violations."
The government will begin in-depth investigations into suspected farmland law violations and farmland in the metropolitan area next month. The in-depth investigations will proceed in two phases: field surveys and supplementary investigations. The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, which specializes in actual farming investigations, will also be involved in the in-depth surveys.
The first phase, the field survey, will involve officials and surveyors visiting farmland to directly verify usage. However, in difficult-to-access areas such as islands and mountainous regions, drones, aerial, and satellite imagery will be utilized.
The second phase, the supplementary investigation, will focus on confirming illegal leasing and other issues that are hard to verify on-site. This will include requesting documentation from landowners and employing interviews and inquiries.
The government has promised strict action against violations. However, it plans to implement guidance measures for elderly farmers who may have to leave land fallow due to health issues or for farmers who exchange land for mutual cultivation.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung stated, "The comprehensive survey aims to accurately assess the overall farmland situation to enhance productivity and strengthen the future agricultural foundation. Farmers actively cultivating their fields need not worry excessively about the farmland survey."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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