The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the government said they will draw a clear line between speculative farmland use and customary violations common in rural areas as they conduct a nationwide survey of farmland. Speculation and serious illegal conversion of farmland will be dealt with by the book, while minor violations such as leaving land fallow without permission or renting it out illegally will be normalized through measures including entrustment to the Farmland Bank. Illegal conversions that can be remedied will be legalized. A special measures act to support this approach is set to be enacted by the end of the year.
Rep. Yoon Jun-byung, who heads policy coordination for the Democratic Party on the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, told reporters after a party-government meeting at the National Assembly on the 21st that officials had agreed to flesh out a basic principle. "Clear speculation and serious illegal conversion will be addressed under the law and established principles, but customary and minor violations that arise from the realities of rural life will be normalized into legitimate farmland use relationships," he said.
The party and the government agreed to act by the book against speculative practices, such as acquiring farmland in land transaction permit zones through false or improper means and then leaving it idle or secretly having others farm it. The same principle applies to serious illegal conversions that are strictly banned in agricultural promotion zones.
Cases that do not involve speculative intent, by contrast, will be normalized through the Farmland Bank. "For unauthorized fallow land or illegal leasing that is not for speculative purposes, if owners entrust to the Farmland Bank farmland they cannot lawfully manage, disposal will be deferred and the land will be normalized so it can be put to use," Yoon said. "We also agreed to review policy support measures to promote long-term leasing through the Farmland Bank." For illegal structures built without going through conversion procedures required to use farmland for other purposes, the government will pursue a plan to approve the conversion after the fact once a farmland preservation charge is paid.
The party and the government agreed to push for enactment of a special measures act by the end of the year to provide a legal basis for these steps. They will also prepare an amendment to the Farmland Act by the first half of next year, reflecting views from rural communities. After the special measures act is enacted and the Farmland Act is revised, the two sides plan to address practical problems in farmland use and gaps in the system that come to light, in order to reduce inconveniences for farmers.
They also agreed to explain survey-related information transparently and promptly so that the spread of unfounded claims during the farmland survey does not fuel unnecessary anxiety among farmers and the public. In particular, they plan to review on-site survey procedures to prevent violations of the Farmland Act from being immediately mistaken for speculation.
