Gyeonggi Province to Conduct 'Farmland Utilization Survey' in 31 Cities and Counties by End of November

Gyeonggi Province will conduct a farmland utilization survey of its 31 cities and counties until November 30, 2025.

The farmland utilization survey is conducted annually in each eup, myeon, and dong as an on-site inspection to verify facts related to farmland ownership, transactions, use, and conversion, in accordance with the Farmland Act.

The main targets of the survey are a total of 273,435 parcels (29,537 hectares), including: farmland owned by agricultural corporations, foreigners, and overseas Koreans with foreign nationality; farmland within land transaction permission zones and farmland acquired within the last five years after obtaining a farmland acquisition qualification certificate; farmland acquired by residents living outside the jurisdiction; and farmland acquired as shared ownership.

Through the survey, the authorities will check whether farmland owners are actually engaged in agricultural management, detect unauthorized fallow land and illegal leases, and, in the case of agricultural corporations owning farmland, also examine whether the farmland ownership requirements are being met (at least one-third of executive members must be farmers).

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

If the survey finds violations of the Farmland Act, such as illegal conversion, ownership, leasing, or unauthorized fallow land, the city or county will impose administrative measures, including a hearing process, an order to dispose of the farmland, a restoration order, and may also file a criminal complaint.

If an order to dispose of farmland is issued, the owner must sell or cultivate the farmland within one year. Failure to comply will result in an annual penalty equal to 25% of the higher value between the officially assessed individual land price (or the standard land price if there is no individual assessment) and the appraised value.

Lee Munmu, Director of Agricultural Policy at Gyeonggi Province, said, "We will do our utmost to establish the principle that farmland should be cultivated by its owners and to ensure that farmland is used for its intended purpose of agricultural management."