Lee Points Out Farmland as Speculative Target... Agriculture Ministry Vows to Draw Up Plan to Strengthen Agricultural Use

President Lee Jaemyung at Cabinet meeting on 24th
"Farmland must be forcibly sold if it is not farmed"

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has decided to draw up measures to strengthen the preservation of farmland and its use for agricultural purposes. This comes after President Lee Jaemyung on the 24th ordered the relevant ministries to identify the current situation and prepare countermeasures, saying that "farmland has become a target for speculation."

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "There is a need to strictly crack down on cases where people acquire farmland for speculative purposes or effectively leave farmland neglected without using it for agriculture," adding, "From the perspective of food security, we are pushing ahead with measures, including institutional improvements, to preserve farmland as much as possible and to ensure that farmland can be used for agriculture."

President Lee Jaemyung is speaking at a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on the 24th. Yonhap News

At the cabinet meeting that day, President Lee said, "Every problem in this country comes down to real estate, and the way we manage farmland in our country is a complete mess," criticizing that "the principle of 'farmland to the tiller' is stipulated in the Constitution, yet all sorts of unconstitutional acts are being carried out through statutes." He went on to stress, "Because people do not comply with the law, everyone thinks they just need to buy farmland and pretend to farm," adding, "In reality, a sale order should be issued and the land should be sold off."

In fact, in January this year, speculators who had illegally acquired farmland in the Osong Station area to gain capital gains were found guilty. In November 2021, they obtained permission to convert farmland by borrowing someone else's name for tens of millions of won in order to acquire 1,862 square meters of farmland within an agricultural promotion area in the planned Osong Station area development site in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, and were sentenced to fines. Under the Farmland Act, non-farmers are not allowed to acquire farmland, and in particular, in agricultural promotion districts, land-use activities other than those related to agricultural production and farmland improvement are prohibited.

The current Farmland Act stipulates that "no one may own farmland unless they use or intend to use it for their own agricultural management." Furthermore, the law clearly states that farmland must be owned and used in a way that enhances agricultural productivity and must not become an object of speculation.

Even non-farmers may own farmland in certain cases. Exceptions include cases where farmland is acquired through inheritance; where a person has engaged in agricultural management for at least eight years and then ceases farming; and where a person owns farmland outside agricultural promotion areas for weekend or experiential farming. However, such owned farmland must still be used for agricultural management. If someone acquires farmland for a weekend farm, that farmland must in fact be used for agricultural purposes.

If farming is not carried out, a disposal order may also be issued. If, without just cause, a person does not use the land for their own agricultural management or does not use it for weekend or experiential farming, the head of the local government may order the farmland owner to dispose of the farmland within six months.

The official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, "Currently, multiple amendment bills to the Farmland Act aimed at preserving farmland and promoting its agricultural use have been proposed in the National Assembly," adding, "We will do our utmost in discussions to draw up amendment bills that will enable farmland to be preserved and utilized while upholding the basic principle of 'farmland to the tiller.'"