S. Korea farm minister apologises over farmland survey preparation, disputes drone use
Version 2: Song Mi-ryung said “my fault” over the survey's insufficient preparation, disclosed that she only learned during the audit that most survey drones were Chinese-made, and said the government would review raising its share of rural basic income funding; opposition lawmakers also claimed the survey is linked to solar power projects, which ruling-party members rejected.
In short
Agriculture minister Song Mi-ryung told a parliamentary audit on Oct 7 that the government's full farmland survey does not infringe farmers' private property and that most ordinary, customary violations would not be punished, while saying “my fault” over insufficient preparation. She said she would look into replacing the full survey with one centred on non-cultivated and Seoul-area speculation-purpose farmland. Lawmakers of both parties criticised the survey, opposition members claimed it is linked to solar power projects, and Song said she learned during the audit that most drones used in the survey were Chinese-made.
Read the full story 3 min read
Agriculture minister Song Mi-ryung told the National Assembly's agriculture, food, rural affairs, oceans and fisheries committee audit on Oct 7 that the government's full farmland survey does not infringe farmers' private property, saying “there is absolutely no damage going to our farmers” and “we do not infringe private property”. She said most ordinary and customary violations found in the survey would not be subject to disposition, and, when pressed on insufficient preparation, said “my fault”. [ 1 , 6 , 9 ]
Yonhap reported Song said she would “look into” replacing the full survey with one centred on non-cultivated farmland and speculation-purpose farmland in the Seoul metropolitan area, and that a lawmaker's proposal to halt the survey, prepare follow-up measures such as a Farmland Act or special act first and build data afterwards “had merit”. Hankyung headlined that she was reviewing a replacement survey aimed at speculation. [ 3 , 8 ]
Lawmakers of both parties criticised the survey. Opposition People Power Party lawmaker Lee Seong-kwon asked whether she knew farmers feared that land they had tilled all their lives was being taken; ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Gae-ho said the ministry had not adequately explained the survey and that field officials' initial response was badly flawed. Seoul Economic Daily reported Democratic Party members saying the government should have explained earlier and might need to apologise. PPP lawmaker Lee Yang-su demanded the survey be halted, saying farmland prices had fallen and transactions stopped, and PPP members attached notes reading “drive farmers out, in the end solar power?”, claiming the survey serves solar projects and citing President Lee Jae-myung's cabinet remark that solar farming earns several times more than ordinary farming; Democratic Party members countered that agrivoltaics is a policy tool for farmers' livelihoods. [ 1 , 7 ]
Newsis reported PPP lawmaker Kim Yong-tae saying 94 of 103 drones used in the survey were made by China's DJI, raising security concerns. Song said she learned of this “this time”, from news reports, and had been told it was for budget reasons. [ 6 ]
The survey followed President Lee Jae-myung's February instruction to review a full farmland survey; a Farmland Act revision making disposition orders mandatory passed a cabinet meeting in May, and from May 18 the first basic survey covered farmland acquired since the act took effect in January 1996 through the end of July. The ministry said violations were suspected on 300,000 of 1.36 million hectares, or 27 percent. After a Sept 10 briefing by Song and remarks by President Lee calling confiscation claims agitation by speculators, the party and ministry announced on Sept 21 a self-correction period for minor violations and a special act within the year. The National Assembly Research Service said on Oct 6 that the survey had been pushed ahead without sufficient preparation and deliberation. [ 1 , 3 ]
Song also addressed other issues. On the rural basic income pilot, which pays 150,000 won a month in local gift certificates in 17 of 69 population-declining counties, she said nationwide expansion was not yet under consideration and that raising the national funding share and differentiating support by distance from the capital region were being reviewed. On the CPTPP, she said nothing had been decided and measures to minimise damage to agriculture were needed. She rebutted claims that government policy was undermining egg-laying farms, citing last year's farm incomes and this year's number of new entrants. [ 3 , 6 , 9 ]
Why it matters
The full survey sets the practical enforcement line for how farmland ownership and use are policed, and the ministry's stated willingness to spare customary violations and consider narrowing the survey's scope affects the 27 percent of national farmland where violations are suspected. The promised special act, and any decision to suspend or redraw the survey, will determine whether farmers face dispositions or a self-correction period. The dispute has become partisan, with both ruling and opposition lawmakers pressing the ministry at the audit and raising new questions about drone procurement.
Key facts
- Agriculture minister Song Mi-ryung said at the Oct 7 parliamentary audit that most ordinary and customary violations found in the farmland full survey would not be subject to disposition. [ 1 ]
- Song said the survey does not infringe farmers' private property, saying there is “absolutely no damage” to farmers. [ 6 , 9 ]
- Song said she would examine replacing the full survey with one centred on non-cultivated farmland and speculation-purpose farmland in the Seoul metropolitan area. [ 3 , 8 ]
- Song said she learned of the use of Chinese-made drones in the survey “this time” during the audit, after a lawmaker said 94 of 103 drones were made by DJI, and said she was told it was because of budget reasons. [ 6 ]
- Song said she would review raising the national government's share of rural basic income funding and differentiating support by distance from the capital region, while saying nationwide expansion is not yet under consideration. [ 3 , 6 , 9 ]
- Song said “my fault” in response to criticism that preparation for the survey was not careful enough. [ 9 ]
- Lawmakers of both parties criticised the survey as rushed and said it had increased anxiety and confusion in rural areas. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 ]
- The first basic survey, covering farmland acquired since the Farmland Act took effect in January 1996 and running to the end of July, found suspected violations on 300,000 of 1.36 million hectares, or 27 percent, the ministry said. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Song Mi-ryung answered questions about the farmland full survey at the National Assembly agriculture, food, rural affairs, oceans and fisheries committee audit on Oct 7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 9 ]
- Song acknowledged the preparation and communication fell short, saying she should have been more careful and that it was her fault. [ 3 , 9 ]
- Lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties criticised the survey at the audit as rushed, saying it had increased anxiety and confusion among farmers. [ 1 , 3 , 7 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the government will suspend or narrow the full survey, and what a survey focused on non-cultivated and speculation-purpose farmland would cover. Song said only that she would “look into” the alternative and that a lawmaker's proposal to halt the survey and prepare follow-up measures first “had merit”; no decision was announced in the documents.
- The content and timing of the special act promised for enactment within the year, and how the line between speculation and customary violation will be drawn. The documents report the Sept 21 party-government plan and Song's statement that sufficient explanation procedures will be provided, but give no detail on the bill or the criteria.
- Whether the farmland survey is connected to solar power projects. Opposition lawmakers at the audit claimed the survey ultimately serves solar projects, citing the president's remark on solar farming income; ruling-party members rejected this, calling agrivoltaics a livelihood measure. The documents record the dispute without resolving it.
- When the May revision to the Farmland Act passed. Asia Economy and Newsis report that the revision making disposition orders mandatory passed a cabinet meeting in May, while Hankyung's headline text says the revision passed the National Assembly on May 7.
- What will happen to the Chinese-made drones used in the survey and who approved their use. Song said she learned of the DJI drones during the audit, from news reports, and had been told it was a budget matter; the documents give no further detail. Single-source claim from Newsis.
- Song said the survey does not infringe farmers' private property and that no damage is being done to farmers. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes Song Mi-ryung's remarks from the National Assembly audit, including that customary violations would not be punished. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes its report and photographs of Song at the audit. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap reports Song saying she would look into a narrower survey and that a proposal to suspend it had merit. [ 3 ]
- Maeil Business publishes photographs of Song at the audit. [ 4 , 5 ]
- Newsis publishes a comprehensive report on the farmland survey, rural basic income, egg-laying farms and the Chinese-drone question. [ 6 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the cross-party criticism, the opposition's demand to halt the survey and its claim that the survey serves solar projects. [ 7 ]
- Hankyung reports both parties calling for the survey to be supplemented or halted, and Song saying a speculation-purpose survey is under review. [ 8 ]
- Newsis publishes a second comprehensive update reporting Song's “my fault” apology and her remarks on the CPTPP and egg policy. [ 9 ]