The South Korean government is conducting a comprehensive survey to assess the ownership and use of agricultural land, raising concerns among rural communities about the potential for land dispossession and the effectiveness of the survey methods. Farmers who are unable to cultivate their land due to aging or labor shortages, as well as those who own land for various reasons such as inheritance or leasing, fear they may be subjected to uniform regulations.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and rural sources, the government has been conducting a survey since May 18, targeting 1.36 million hectares of agricultural land acquired since January 1, 1996.
As of the end of July, the initial survey was completed for 97% of the targeted area, covering 1.32 million hectares and 10.13 million parcels, with 27% of these parcels classified as suspected violations of land law. The initial survey utilized administrative data, satellite imagery, and artificial intelligence to verify ownership, cultivation status, and land use, subsequently identifying parcels requiring field investigations.
Since August, in-depth investigations have been underway, with surveyors visiting sites to confirm actual cultivation, illegal leasing, unauthorized conversion, and fallow land violations. The Ministry plans to complete the investigations by December and will follow up with necessary hearings based on confirmed cases.
Concerns have been raised in rural areas about whether the circumstances of landowners will be adequately considered during the survey process. For instance, individuals who inherited land but cannot farm due to age, illness, or urban residency, as well as those who rent additional land for cultivation, worry that their situations may be misclassified as violations. Tenant farmers are also anxious about losing their cultivated land due to changes in leasing agreements.
The recent amendment to the land law, which strengthened the land disposal order from discretionary to mandatory, has further fueled anxiety. However, the Ministry has clarified that even if violations are confirmed, immediate land dispossession will not occur, and there are procedures based on the nature of the violation, including self-disposal periods and cultivation status. They emphasize distinguishing between speculative land acquisitions and minor violations arising from rural realities.
As anxiety over the comprehensive survey grows, some reports suggest that land transactions have decreased since the survey began. However, the Ministry actively refuted these claims, stating that land transaction volumes have actually increased by 2.2% compared to the same period last year, and the decline in actual transaction prices has slowed, indicating no clear statistical evidence of a drastic drop in transactions or prices due to the survey.
In response to the growing backlash from rural communities, President Lee Jae-myung addressed the land survey during a press conference on September 18. He clarified that the survey is not intended to forcibly sell the land of farmers who cannot cultivate but is a foundational investigation to understand actual land use and potential speculation.
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong also stated during a press briefing on September 10 that the survey aims to establish data on land ownership and use, as well as to identify discrepancies between the law and rural realities since the introduction of the land law. While they will take strict action against speculative violations, the focus will be on self-correction and guidance for customary or minor violations.
The Ministry plans to complete the in-depth investigations by December. On September 21, the government and the Democratic Party will review the progress of the land survey and discuss supplementary measures related to land disposal and enforcement fines.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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