Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong announced that the government is considering purchasing farmland that is difficult to sell through the Agricultural Bank during the ongoing nationwide land survey.
During a live broadcast on the Democratic Party's official YouTube channel, 'Democratic Party TV,' on September 23, Minister Song stated, "If private transactions are not possible, we are also considering measures to purchase through the Agricultural Bank." This initiative aims to prevent farmland, such as landlocked plots, from being left idle due to unfavorable market conditions and to protect farmers' property rights.
Minister Song explained that a system called 'Land Transaction Connection' has been established to support the leasing and sale of farmland that is difficult to transact privately, stating, "We are working to activate private leasing and sales of farmland."
She also addressed the issue of farmland held through inheritance, saying, "Inherited farmland can continue to be owned, and up to 1 hectare can be leased, while portions exceeding 1 hectare can be leased through the Agricultural Bank."
The need for amending the land law was also emphasized. Minister Song noted, "The land law, introduced 30 years ago, does not reflect current realities, leading to a 27% incidence of suspected violations," and stressed the importance of amending the land law to align with contemporary conditions through this survey.
She remarked on the land survey, saying, "It seems that the advantages are not well highlighted and there is fear surrounding it due to misinformation. There is no need to be afraid; rather, we should actively participate and use this as an opportunity to reform the land system to fit the times and promote agricultural and rural development." She also shared an example of a 'shadow farmer' who transitioned to a formal agricultural producer by converting their existing farming contracts into official agreements under their name.
Regarding the scale of farmland suspected of violating land laws, Minister Song stated, "It is about 300,000 hectares, but this is only a suspicion, not a confirmed violation or disposition," reiterating the need to use the land survey to build a database and improve outdated land systems.
Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung directed a nationwide land survey in February, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs began the first-ever nationwide land survey in May. According to preliminary results released by the ministry at the end of July, approximately 27% of farmland acquired since 1996 showed suspected cases of illegal leasing or unauthorized fallowing, indicating potential violations of land law.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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