South Korea to spare inherited and elderly-owned farmland from state disposal

The South Korean government announced that inherited farmland and agricultural plots owned by elderly farmers, along with three additional categories, will be shielded from disposal orders in its nationwide land-ownership survey. Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung explained that a special law will be drafted to prevent disposals where breaches of usage rules are judged non-speculative. The five exempted groups cover inherited land, properties leased under customary contracts or retained due to the owner's age, farmland with complex ownership structures, undeveloped parcels, and sites containing unauthorized facilities.

The ministry will still assess cases of speculative rule violations, giving owners an opportunity to present their circumstances before any disposal order is issued. This move responds to backlash from farming communities who argue that the government's anti-speculation measures overlook the practical conditions of rural life. South Korea's Constitution and the Farmland Act already restrict land ownership to active farmers, and the new exemptions aim to fine-tune those restrictions.