Gangwon Province Lifts Small-Scale Agricultural Promotion Zones Equivalent to 170 Soccer Fields

121 Hectares in 104 Zones Released from Regulation
Land Use Opportunities Expanded, Residents' Inconveniences Expected to Be Resolved
New Pathways Opened for Farmland Utilization

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on September 21 that it has lifted and officially announced the removal of 121 hectares of small-scale agricultural promotion zones-equivalent to the size of 170 soccer fields-that have low agricultural utility and are practically difficult to use as farmland due to changing local conditions.

A view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government.

This maintenance project, in accordance with Article 32 of the Farmland Act, exempts parcels of farmland smaller than 3 hectares that have become isolated from the original clustered farmland due to roads, railways, rivers, or residential development, making agricultural production impossible, from regulatory restrictions.

Unlike the removal of agricultural promotion zones under the Gangwon Special Act, this process does not require a separate development plan, and it is the first such initiative in six years since 17 hectares were reorganized in 2019.

This removal was carried out through a series of procedures, including approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, consultations with relevant agencies, on-site surveys, public hearings with residents, and additional approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for areas exceeding 1 hectare.

During this process, the province held countermeasure meetings with city and county officials, extended the period for field surveys to encourage active participation from local governments, and subsequently enhanced the validity and credibility of the project by verifying records (such as area and cadastral information) and conducting on-site inspections of the areas to be lifted.

As a result of this measure, 121 hectares of farmland in 104 zones across 13 out of 18 cities and counties in the province have been exempted from regulation. By region, the largest areas lifted were in Wonju (38.7 hectares), followed by Hongcheon (24.9 hectares), Goseong (15.1 hectares), and Yangyang (14 hectares).

The removal of these small-scale agricultural promotion zones is expected to resolve local residents' inconveniences by enabling various land uses, including construction, and to serve as a catalyst for regional development through rational land use enabled by regulatory relaxation.

Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "Until now, residents have been anxious because they owned land but could not use it. With this removal, new opportunities for utilization have opened up, and the value of residents' assets has increased. We will continue to boldly improve unreasonable regulations to create changes that residents can truly feel."