Cheong Wa Dae: "You don't have to sell your farmland if you don't want to ... We apologize for causing concern"

[Financial News] Cheong Wa Dae has moved to ease farmers' concerns over the first nationwide comprehensive farmland survey in 78 years. In response to claims that the government plans to force farmers to sell their farmland and then buy it at low prices, it called the allegations "utterly absurd" and emphasized that farmers themselves will decide whether to sell.
Lee Young-soo, senior secretary for agriculture, forestry and fisheries at Cheong Wa Dae, appeared on Cheong Wa Dae Fact Mill on the 22nd and said, "Some people are even calling it communism, but that is truly utterly absurd. You don't have to sell if you don't want to. That is for farmers to decide."
Lee said, "This comprehensive survey is intended only to identify farmland related to speculation," adding, "The scope of speculation is not broad, and most farmland is not subject to it."
The farmland subject to disposal will be limited to land that was illegally leased or left uncultivated among farmland acquired in land transaction permit zones, jointly acquired through auctions or other means, or obtained through fraudulent agricultural corporations.
The government also plans to impose compulsory enforcement fines only on speculative farmland. Sales will not be forced even when farmers have stopped farming due to old age or health problems, or when they have inherited farmland. Lee explained, "Farmers aged 60 or older who have directly farmed for at least five years may lease their land privately to relatives or acquaintances. Inherited farmland measuring less than 1 hectare may also be entrusted to relatives or acquaintances."
He also denied claims that disposition notices had already been sent out as part of the comprehensive farmland survey. "Not a single disposition notice has been issued to date under the 2026 comprehensive farmland survey," he said.
Addressing claims that the government plans to buy farmland at bargain prices, he explained, "Ordinary farmland will be purchased at market prices, while speculative farmland will be purchased at its officially assessed land value." He added that the policy is intended to ease the burden on elderly farmers and those who inherited farmland, stockpile farmland for food security, and create opportunities for young farmers.
Lee also rejected the suggestion that the comprehensive survey had caused farmland prices to fall. "Farmland transaction volume this year increased by 2.2% from the same period last year," he said. "Farmland prices fell 4.4%, but the decline has narrowed compared with the average annual drop of 9% following the 2021 speculation scandal involving Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH)."
Lee emphasized, "We apologize for causing concern among farmers in the field. From the outset, the comprehensive farmland survey was pursued with the aim of returning speculative farmland to farmers and improving the system governing the rest to reflect reality."

[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter