Gyeonggi Province to Conduct Comprehensive Survey of 1.22 Million Farmland Parcels Acquired Since 1996

The Gyeonggi Provincial Government will conduct a comprehensive survey to investigate illegal farmland ownership and related issues.

On April 28, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government announced that, starting in May, it will launch a full-scale investigation into 1.22 million farmland parcels (146,000 hectares) acquired since 1996. The goal is to check for illegal ownership, unauthorized fallowing, unlawful leasing, and illegal conversion of farmland.

Previously, President Lee Jaemyung stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation of farmland, stating, "Farmland has become a target for speculation, making prices too high and making it difficult for people to return to farming."

Accordingly, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government plans to uncover unconstitutional acts related to farmland acquired for speculative purposes through this comprehensive investigation, with the aim of normalizing illegally held farmland.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

원본보기 아이콘

If the investigation finds that farmland was acquired without the intention of agricultural management-by so-called "fake farmers" or "farmland speculators"-the mayor or county governor will take necessary actions, including issuing an order to dispose of the farmland.

If the order to dispose of the farmland is not carried out, an enforcement fine amounting to 25% of the higher value between the annual appraised value and the officially announced land price will be imposed each year until the farmland is disposed of.

This investigation will be carried out in stages: from May to July, a basic document review will be conducted, followed by on-site, in-depth inspections from August to December. The specific methods and timeline of the investigation will follow the guidelines set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. To ensure smooth implementation, up to 2,000 investigators will be recruited by May 15 across 31 cities and counties.

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