A bill requiring inherited and farm-leaver land not personally cultivated by owners to be entrusted or leased to the Korea Rural Community Corporation's Farmland Bank, regardless of area, has cleared a standing committee of the National Assembly. The measure aims to address the problem of owners splitting shares and leaving land idle for extended periods by exploiting the current rule that allows ownership of inherited or farm-leaver land up to 10,000 square meters without self-cultivation requirements.
The National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee recently deliberated and passed the Farmland Act amendment containing these provisions, political sources said Monday. The amendment's core provision eliminates the "10,000 square meters or less" ownership cap that had applied to inherited and farm-leaver farmland, while mandating entrustment or leasing to the Farmland Bank for those who do not personally farm the land. Owners of inherited or farm-leaver farmland who fail to comply and leave the land idle must dispose of it within one year. The committee agreed to apply a two-year grace period, taking into account the need to organize subordinate legislation and build out Farmland Bank infrastructure.
The ruling party and government have pursued the institutional overhaul to curb farmland speculation and establish the "land-to-the-tiller" principle. Cases of holding inherited or farm-leaver farmland without actual cultivation have been common, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area where development expectations run high. Once the amendment takes effect, it is expected to block practices of circumventing the area cap through share splitting and holding inherited or farm-leaver farmland as vacant land. Inherited and farm-leaver farmland entrusted to the Farmland Bank will be supplied preferentially to existing tenant farmers and young farmers to enhance agricultural productivity.
The amendment also provides a legal basis for the central and local governments to hire survey officers to conduct comprehensive farmland surveys. The officers will be authorized to enter others' land to carry out their duties. The opposition party raised concerns that a cautious approach is needed to prevent innocent victims. "At a time when many elderly farmers operate farmland on a leased basis, we must ensure that unexpected disadvantages do not arise," said Lee Man-hee, a lawmaker of the People Power Party.
