A current member of the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly, who was suspected of being a 'fake farmer' by buying farmland but not farming and lending the land for free, has been brought to trial.
The Miryang Branch of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office announced on the 25th that Assemblyman Lee Kyung-jae was indicted without detention on charges of illegally acquiring farmland and lending it to acquaintances, violating the Farmland Act.
Previously, Assemblyman Lee was transferred on September 8 for allegedly falsely obtaining farmland acquisition qualifications in 2021, claiming he would farm the land himself, purchasing farmland in Changnyeong County and then leaving it unattended, and lending farmland in Gimhae City to acquaintances free of charge.
It is known that Assemblyman Lee owns about 10,000 square meters of land across three locations: Changnyeong and Gimhae in Gyeongnam, and Cheongsong in Gyeongbuk, together with his spouse.
Under the Farmland Act, farmland owners must farm the land themselves and are prohibited from leasing the land to others for profit or free of charge.
The Changnyeong County Farmers' Association and others filed a complaint against Assemblyman Lee for violating the Farmland Act in May.
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