Illegal Issues Found in 1 of 4 Sites in the Farmland Survey

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs found in its first fullscale survey of farmland nationwide that about 27% of the total was suspected of violating the Farmland Act. The survey covered farmland whose ownership changed after the Farmland Act was enacted in 1996, and the government conducted the basic survey from May to July this year. Among the suspected violation types, the largest share was cases where land was registered in the farmland registry as being directly cultivated but was actually likely being leased out. This was followed by unauthorized fallow land, suspected illegal use conversion, and violations of ownership restrictions. A large number of farmland suspected of violations was identified in Sejong, Jeju, and Gangwon. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plans to begin a detailed investigation next month, using onsite inspections and drone filming to determine whether illegal activity occurred and whether there is a possibility of speculation. If violations are confirmed, followup measures such as administrative action and criminal complaints may be taken, and plans to reorganize and repurpose longterm idle farmland through the Farmland Bank are also under review.