YONGIN — The city of Yongin has asked the central government to revise farmland rules so that local farmers are not penalized during a full survey of farmland use.
The city said on the 22nd that it has been repeatedly urging relevant agencies to ease the burden on farmers and minimize damage related to the farmland survey.
Mayor Lee Sang-il instructed senior officials at an Oct. 6 meeting to closely examine problems arising in the field during the survey. The mayor also ordered officials to request rule changes from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and other agencies so that farmers do not face unreasonable orders.
Following that directive, the city on the 14th asked the agriculture ministry to set reasonable standards for farmland located inside land transaction permit zones designated to curb foreign speculation.
The city argues that because such zones are intended to curb speculative home purchases by foreign nationals, it may be unreasonable to issue disposal orders without a grace period on farmland owned by Korean nationals simply because the land falls inside the zone. The city also asked for a clear interpretation of whether disposal orders without a grace period should apply to farmland acquired before the zone was designated.
All of Yongin is currently designated as a land transaction permit zone to curb foreign speculation through Aug. 25, 2027. The city is surveying farmland use across a total of 55,153 parcels. As of Oct. 16, it had completed surveys of 48,657 parcels. It plans to further verify whether the land is actually being cultivated, in line with ministry guidelines.
"Joint cultivation by family members, contracted farm work, small-scale farming, landlocked and sloped farmland, and customary leases arranged because of old age or illness are difficult to judge on survey results alone," a city official said.
"We will consult with relevant agencies so that farmers' views lead to improvements in the rules," the official said. "We will do our best to ease the concerns of local farmers."