Farmland Lies Fallow as Speculators Plant Trees to Skirt Regulations

NAMYANGJU, South Korea—A plot of farmland in Jingeon-eup, Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, visited on May 25, was registered as an orchard for fruit cultivation. Yet it resembled "dead land," untouched by human hands for years.

Blueberry trees stood in rows, but they were so withered they could be mistaken for dead weeds without explanation. The soil beneath had hardened from prolonged neglect. No signs of soil maintenance, pruning, or irrigation were visible.

Kim, 81, who has operated an orchard in Jingeon-eup for 30 years, pointed to the land and said: "This isn't an orchard for actual farming. Trees were planted just to meet farmland requirements. It's common for owners to mow grass only once or twice a year to avoid crackdowns."

President Lee Jae-myung recently invoked the "land-to-the-tiller" principle at a Cabinet meeting, ordering a comprehensive survey of non-farming agricultural land and a review of mandatory sale orders. Across the nation, land registered as farmland continues to be traded for investment purposes without actual cultivation—mocking the constitutional principle that only farmers should own agricultural land.

Jingeon-eup is adjacent to the Wangsuk District, a third-phase new town development site. Combined with the Seoul Metro Line 9 extension project, development expectations have surged. Local real estate agents say many have acquired farmland and held it without cultivation.

Lee, 73, who operates a real estate office, said planting fruit trees like blueberries or jujubes to create the appearance of farming is the most common tactic. "It's not farming for harvest—it's the minimum measure to meet Agricultural Land Act requirements," he explained.

The contrast between actively farmed land and neglected plots was stark. Fields growing plums or pears showed organized soil, consistent tree spacing, and proper pruning. Signs of irrigation remained visible. Adjacent plots, however, lay covered in weeds with maintenance clearly abandoned.

Land use extended beyond tree planting. Some plots housed small-scale rabbit breeding operations or served as storage for agricultural materials. Residents said owners believe small-scale operations can evade enforcement.

Greenhouse structures permitted for seedling cultivation or crop production dotted roadsides. Some had previously operated as warehouses under agricultural facility permits, collecting around 3 million won in monthly rent. Recent enforcement crackdowns have led to interior equipment removal, leaving only shells. Signs of demolished containers and temporary warehouses illegally installed on farmland were also visible.

In Yongin, which has buzzed with speculation over the "National Semiconductor Industrial Complex" in recent years, many investors have already cashed out with substantial gains.

Han, a real estate agent in Wonsam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, said: "Land that sold for 3 million won per pyeong about five or six years ago now trades at around 20 million won. Talk of the semiconductor complex started seven or eight years ago. Those who wanted to sell have already sold and left."

However, since Wonsam-myeon's removal from the land transaction permit zone in 2023 and the recent semiconductor boom, transaction inquiries have resurged.

Jeong, another local real estate agent, said: "Inquiries from outsiders have increased significantly recently. With Namsa-eup and Idong-eup in Cheoin-gu—where Samsung Electronics' semiconductor plant will be built—designated as land transaction permit zones, demand is shifting back toward Wonsam-myeon."

The spillover effect has reached Anseong as well. Kim, a real estate agent in Namsa-eup, said: "As regulations tightened in Yongin, farmland prices in Yangseong-myeon, Anseong have more than doubled—from 500,000 won per pyeong in 2021 to 1.1 million won now."

Seoul Economic Daily's analysis of Korea Rural Community Corporation's farmland transaction data confirmed the trend. In one area of Wonnam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, land traded at approximately 260,000 won per square meter in 2023 but exceeded 800,000 won in 2024. Jinjeop-eup in Namyangju similarly saw prices roughly double in one year, from 630,000 won to 1.36 million won per square meter.

Local reactions to President Lee's recent remarks on farmland speculation regulations have been mixed. Some call it "belated regulation."

Kim, the real estate agent, said: "There are stories that not only speculators but also well-informed government officials heard the news first, made several times their investment, and sold. Now they're talking about farmland crackdowns, but it feels too late."