27% of farmland flagged in nationwide probe as deep-dive inspections begin

About 27 percent of farmland covered by the government's nationwide survey has been flagged as potentially violating the Farmland Act, authorities said Thursday. The government will launch field-focused in-depth inspections in August, taking a strict approach to land held for speculative purposes while handling common violations through guidance and corrective measures.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will complete the basic survey phase by Friday and begin in-depth inspections on Saturday.

The nationwide survey covers 1.36 million hectares of farmland acquired since Jan. 1, 1996. It proceeds in two stages: a basic survey using administrative data and an in-depth survey centered on on-site verification.

As of Wednesday, the basic survey had been completed for 1.32 million hectares — 10.13 million parcels, or 97 percent of the total target.

Of the parcels surveyed, 27 percent — some 2.84 million parcels — were classified as suspected violations of the Farmland Act. Suspected illegal leases accounted for the largest share at 21.1 percent, followed by unauthorized fallowing at 11.6 percent, illegal conversion at 9 percent, and violations of farmland ownership restrictions at 1.4 percent.

During the basic survey period, the ministry operated a special cleanup period and a reporting center through the Farmland Bank to protect tenant farmers. The area of farmland entrusted to the bank for lease management rose 80 percent from last year as a result. A total of 206 reports of Farmland Act violations were received.

The National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service will join the in-depth inspections for the first time starting in August. Civil servants and investigators will visit farmland directly to assess how it is being used, while drones, aerial imagery and satellite data will be deployed in remote areas such as islands and mountain regions.

Illegal leases, which are difficult to confirm on-site, will be investigated through questionnaire surveys and door-to-door inquiries involving village heads and local residents, in addition to administrative data. The government plans to draw on the agency's expertise in managing the public direct payment program and agricultural management entities to focus scrutiny on farmland suspected of speculative use.

Violations confirmed through the survey will be addressed according to their type. Land held for speculative purposes will face strict enforcement. Common violations frequently seen in rural areas — such as temporary fallowing by elderly farmers, informal swaps of cultivated plots between farmers, or the unauthorized installation of small agricultural storage sheds — will be given the opportunity for guidance and correction, taking local circumstances into account.

Farmland found to be in violation or left idle for extended periods will not simply face administrative penalties. The government plans to purchase or take custody of such land through the Farmland Bank and use it for consolidation, support for young farmers, and village-scale agri-solar energy projects.

Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryeong said farmers quietly working their land have little reason to worry about the survey. "This investigation is aimed at raising farmland productivity and strengthening the foundation for future agriculture by ensuring that poorly managed farmland is put to use by actual cultivators, including young farmers," she said.