Handonghun's Side Responds to 'Inheritance Land Farm Act Violation' Allegations: "Father Cultivated the Field"

Handonghun, Minister of Justice Nominee / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Han Dong-hoon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, explained that there was no issue regarding allegations that he violated the Farmland Act during the process of land inheritance in the past, stating that "his late father cultivated a vegetable garden and lived there."

According to the legal community on the 18th, Han inherited a 3,339㎡ field in Sabuk-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon Province, following his father's death in April 2004, and owned the land for 13 years before selling it.

Concerns were raised that Han, who is a prosecutor, might have violated the Farmland Act. The current Farmland Act stipulates that farmland cannot be owned unless it is used for one's own agricultural management, based on the principle of 'Gyeongja Yujeon' (cultivation by the farmer).

Han's side explained, "The late father built a house at the location and cultivated a vegetable garden with the nominee's mother, living there. In this case, since it is inheritance, it falls under the exception where farmland can be owned even if not used for agricultural management. Furthermore, the nominee's mother and others continued vegetable farming even after the inheritance."

The disputed land was farmland acquired through inheritance and does not fall under the '10,000㎡ limit' clause, so there is no issue under current law.

In fact, Article 6 of the current Farmland Act allows ownership of farmland acquired through inheritance as an exception, and Article 7 of the same law stipulates that those who acquire farmland through inheritance but do not engage in agricultural management can only own up to 10,000㎡ of farmland.

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