The People Power Party urged the government on September 15 to halt the comprehensive land survey and to completely reform the land law. They also called for the inclusion of circumstances affecting farmers who are unable to cultivate land due to age or illness in the survey, as well as the expansion of the land bank budget and other institutional improvements.
The party's policy committee held a meeting at the National Assembly titled 'Aftermath of the Land Survey: Crisis in Rural Areas' to examine the local impacts of the land survey and discuss ways to improve the system.
During the event, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the government's approach, stating, "Instead of 'land ownership for farmers,' it feels more like 'land ownership as a crime.' They say they will use satellites, drones, and artificial intelligence for monitoring. If they have that kind of money, shouldn't they increase the budget for land bank purchases first?" He emphasized the need to immediately stop the land survey.
The meeting featured strong criticism of the government's uniform land survey approach. Participants noted that the government has not adequately distinguished between unavoidable circumstances while conducting the survey. Concerns were raised that merely not cultivating land could lead to being classified as 'subject to disposal,' which has caused a decline in land transactions and a drop in prices.
There were also concerns that imposing disposal obligations and penalties on elderly farmers who want to sell their land but struggle to find buyers could exacerbate confusion in rural areas. Kim Mi-ae, deputy head of the policy committee, argued that the assessment of speculative intent should consider individual circumstances such as region, the reason for land acquisition, the presence of actual cultivators, and factors like age and illness.
Representatives from farmers' organizations expressed agreement with the need to prevent speculative land ownership but raised issues with the current survey method. They suggested that a phased approach should be taken, allowing for on-site verification, clarification, and opportunities for voluntary correction before imposing penalties for confirmed intentional violations. They also called for measures to facilitate the natural retirement of elderly farmers and the transfer of land to younger farmers.
The People Power Party's policy committee announced specific proposals for improvements during the meeting. Policy committee chair Lim I-ja proposed five principles: 1) clarification and nationwide standardization of criteria for on-site assessments; 2) sufficient opportunities for clarification and re-investigation; 3) establishing criteria for deferring disposal orders due to unavoidable circumstances such as age, illness, or inheritance; 4) providing normal land utilization options, including land bank purchases, before issuing disposal orders; and 5) deferring or reducing penalties for intentional speculation versus unavoidable circumstances.
The party also plans to push for an increase in the budget to expand the functions of the land bank. They intend to discuss raising the allocated budget for land purchases from 886.8 billion won to 1.3868 trillion won during next year's government budget deliberations. Lim emphasized, "We will open a path for elderly farmers to retire with peace of mind and provide opportunities for young farmers to secure land and expand their operations," highlighting the importance of enhancing the role of the land bank.
Moving forward, the People Power Party plans to advocate for amendments to the land law, focusing on the policy committee and members of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, while demanding the government halt the comprehensive survey and reflect principles for on-site responses. Jang stated, "We need to redesign the system to accurately identify speculators while fully reflecting farmers' opinions and the realities of agriculture."
The party's policy committee held a meeting at the National Assembly titled 'Aftermath of the Land Survey: Crisis in Rural Areas' to examine the local impacts of the land survey and discuss ways to improve the system.
During the event, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the government's approach, stating, "Instead of 'land ownership for farmers,' it feels more like 'land ownership as a crime.' They say they will use satellites, drones, and artificial intelligence for monitoring. If they have that kind of money, shouldn't they increase the budget for land bank purchases first?" He emphasized the need to immediately stop the land survey.
The meeting featured strong criticism of the government's uniform land survey approach. Participants noted that the government has not adequately distinguished between unavoidable circumstances while conducting the survey. Concerns were raised that merely not cultivating land could lead to being classified as 'subject to disposal,' which has caused a decline in land transactions and a drop in prices.
There were also concerns that imposing disposal obligations and penalties on elderly farmers who want to sell their land but struggle to find buyers could exacerbate confusion in rural areas. Kim Mi-ae, deputy head of the policy committee, argued that the assessment of speculative intent should consider individual circumstances such as region, the reason for land acquisition, the presence of actual cultivators, and factors like age and illness.
Representatives from farmers' organizations expressed agreement with the need to prevent speculative land ownership but raised issues with the current survey method. They suggested that a phased approach should be taken, allowing for on-site verification, clarification, and opportunities for voluntary correction before imposing penalties for confirmed intentional violations. They also called for measures to facilitate the natural retirement of elderly farmers and the transfer of land to younger farmers.
The People Power Party's policy committee announced specific proposals for improvements during the meeting. Policy committee chair Lim I-ja proposed five principles: 1) clarification and nationwide standardization of criteria for on-site assessments; 2) sufficient opportunities for clarification and re-investigation; 3) establishing criteria for deferring disposal orders due to unavoidable circumstances such as age, illness, or inheritance; 4) providing normal land utilization options, including land bank purchases, before issuing disposal orders; and 5) deferring or reducing penalties for intentional speculation versus unavoidable circumstances.
The party also plans to push for an increase in the budget to expand the functions of the land bank. They intend to discuss raising the allocated budget for land purchases from 886.8 billion won to 1.3868 trillion won during next year's government budget deliberations. Lim emphasized, "We will open a path for elderly farmers to retire with peace of mind and provide opportunities for young farmers to secure land and expand their operations," highlighting the importance of enhancing the role of the land bank.
Moving forward, the People Power Party plans to advocate for amendments to the land law, focusing on the policy committee and members of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, while demanding the government halt the comprehensive survey and reflect principles for on-site responses. Jang stated, "We need to redesign the system to accurately identify speculators while fully reflecting farmers' opinions and the realities of agriculture."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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