Detailed Regulations for Sale and Lease of Nationalized Land in Ha-an-myeon, Yanggu, Gangwon-do Established... Effective from July 5

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The government deliberated and approved the "Regulations on the Sale and Lease of Nationalized Land in Recovered Areas (Presidential Decree)" at the 38th Cabinet Meeting held on the 28th.

In 1983, to resolve the issue of ownerless land in recovered areas, the government enacted the "Special Measures Act on the Restoration Registration and Preservation Registration of Ownerless Land in Recovered Areas," which allowed restoration registration to owners through a simplified proof procedure and nationalized the remaining land. However, some areas such as Haian-myeon, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do, remain ownerless because nationalization was deferred due to failure to meet the guarantor requirement (three persons) under the special law.

Haian-myeon, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do, is a region recovered during the Korean War (June 25th Incident), where most original residents fled to the North. The government implemented relocation policies twice in 1956 and 1972 to establish reconstruction villages. However, those who cultivated the ownerless land since the establishment of the reconstruction villages could not clearly define land ownership and related rights, causing many difficulties and acting as an obstacle to regional development.

Accordingly, the special law was amended last February to resolve the issue of ownerless land remaining in recovered areas.

The amended special law nationalizes the remaining ownerless land and allows the sale or lease of such land to cultivating residents by private contract. It also delegates the scope of sale and lease, eligible buyers, payment methods, and other conditions of sale or lease to be stipulated by presidential decree.

This administrative regulation draft aims to specify the matters delegated by the special law.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance held two resident meetings with the residents of Haian-myeon, Yanggu-gun during the drafting process and reviewed proposals received during the legislative notice period, ensuring sufficient opinion gathering.

The main content of the regulation draft reflecting the delegation of the special law defines those eligible to purchase land acquired as national property under the special law through private contracts.

Eligible buyers include ▲ original residents of the recovered areas or policy migrants under national relocation policies ▲ those who have succeeded rights to cultivated land through sale, gift, inheritance, etc., from original residents or policy migrants ▲ those who have moved into the recovered areas and have occupied and cultivated the land for a certain period.

The sale area will be differentiated based on reclamation and cultivation periods, with a maximum of 30,000㎡ per household. The sale price will be determined by the arithmetic average of appraisals from two appraisers (one recommended by central government agencies and one by the mayor or county governor). If the land value has increased due to reclamation, the sale price may be set by deducting the reclamation cost from the sale price.

The lease area will be granted to those who have cultivated the land for a certain period, within a maximum of 60,000㎡ per household. However, to allow cultivators currently harvesting perennial crops to harvest their crops on the land they are cultivating, the application of the lease area limit will be deferred for a certain period.

The regulations on the sale and lease of nationalized land in recovered areas will take effect from the 5th of next month.

The government plans to nationalize ownerless land in Haian-myeon, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do, within the recovered areas by early August, and prepare detailed standards (instructions) for cadastral re-survey and sale and lease, ensuring smooth execution of sale and lease operations for nationalized land.

An official from the Ministry of Economy and Finance stated, "This will help establish stable living conditions and farming environments for residents in recovered areas, and it is expected to contribute to regional development by clarifying ownership."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.