'Violation of Farmland Act'... Milyang City Officials Pretending to Be Farmers Receive Suspended Sentences as a Group

Violating the Farmland Act Again Using Compensation Received for Farmland Act Violation

Suspended sentences were handed down to current and former public officials of Miryang-si, Gyeongnam, who pretended to be farmers for financial gain and violated the Farmland Act.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] Probation sentences were handed down to current and former public officials of Miryang City, Gyeongnam Province, who violated the Farmland Act by posing as farmers for financial gain.

On the 29th, the Criminal Division 1 of Changwon District Court Miryang Branch (Presiding Judge Maeng Jun-young) sentenced five individuals?four current public officials and one former public official of Miryang City Hall, Gyeongnam Province?who were tried for violating the Farmland Act, to one year in prison with two years of probation and also ordered 120 hours of community service.

Additionally, the wife of a retired public official, who was also indicted on the same charges, was sentenced to six months in prison with two years of probation, and a Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) employee was ordered 120 hours of community service and sentenced to eight months in prison with two years of probation.

Mr. A, Mr. B, Mr. C, and Mr. D are currently serving as public official couples in Miryang City, and Mr. E is a retired public official. Mr. A, Mr. C, and Mr. E, who worked together at a township office in Miryang City, applied for and received farmland acquisition qualification certificates from Miryang City in June 2016 for approximately 2,600㎡ and 500㎡ of farmland in Bubuk-myeon, stating that they would farm the land themselves and engage in agricultural management and weekend farming experiences with their wives.

The couples of Mr. A and Mr. E also obtained farmland acquisition qualification certificates for purchasing approximately 1,900㎡ of farmland in Bubuk-myeon around the same time using similar methods.

Mr. A and Mr. C’s couples received compensation when the farmland they purchased in Bubuk-myeon in 2016 was expropriated for the "Miryang Bubuk Public Housing District Development Project." Using this compensation, together with KORAIL employee Mr. G, they jointly and separately purchased approximately 3,800㎡ and 1,800㎡ of farmland in Yongpyeong-dong, Miryang City, between February and April 2020, and obtained farmland acquisition qualification certificates.

Under the current Farmland Act, ownership of farmland is only permitted if the owner directly farms the land or uses it for weekend farming experiences. Furthermore, obtaining farmland acquisition qualification certificates through false or other fraudulent means is prohibited.

The court stated the reason for sentencing: "The case is serious because public officials who are in positions to directly handle or are closely related to policy formulation and implementation for land development fraudulently obtained farmland acquisition qualifications. Although most defendants claim they intended to farm the land, it is difficult to accept this as is."