Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong announced on October 7 that most common and habitual violations related to agricultural land will not be penalized, and a special law will be enacted to legalize them. Cases deemed speculative may be subject to penalties, but the government plans to ensure adequate clarification procedures.
During her opening remarks at the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries Committee audit, Minister Song stated, "There are various concerns that have spread in the field regarding the agricultural land survey, which is contrary to its intended purpose."
She explained, "The purpose of this survey is to accurately assess the ownership and usage of agricultural land nationwide to reform the 30-year-old agricultural land system in line with the changing rural environment, such as aging populations."
Minister Song added, "We do not plan to penalize the majority of common and habitual violations identified during the survey, and we will enact a special law to legalize them while rationally reforming systems that do not align with reality."
This indicates a focus on system reform and legalization, addressing concerns that habitual agricultural land use could be uniformly penalized.
However, the possibility of penalties remains for land acquisitions and uses deemed speculative.
Minister Song cited examples such as acquiring agricultural land under false pretenses in designated land transaction areas, leaving land uncultivated without permission, illegal leasing, and agricultural corporations engaging in real estate activities. She emphasized that, "In cases judged to be speculative, we can issue disposal orders, but we plan to provide sufficient clarification procedures even for those subject to penalties."
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs aims to understand the ownership and usage status of agricultural land through this survey and connect the findings to necessary reforms that reflect rural realities.
Minister Song stated, "This survey is not intended to burden farmers but to ensure that unreasonable systems are reformed to align with reality, allowing farmers to focus on their agricultural activities with peace of mind."
Regarding reforms in the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, she indicated that once reform plans are finalized through discussions in the National Assembly, they will be implemented promptly. Additional reform measures aimed at enhancing the economic activities and competitiveness of cooperatives will also be prepared.
On the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), she remarked, "Restoring trust and building consensus within the agricultural sector is a priority," and stated that discussions on CPTPP membership will be re-evaluated from scratch, ensuring that sensitivity in the agricultural sector and the need for adequate supplementary measures are addressed in the process.
Minister Song also announced plans for measures to stabilize rice supply during the harvest season. She noted that the price of short-grain rice is currently 28,419 won per 10 kilograms, which is higher than both last year and the average. She stated that measures will be developed in consultation with producer organizations based on the expected production volume to be announced on October 8.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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