Permit Hospital and School in Agriculture Promotion Area

The agriculture promotion area which can be, currently, developed into exclusive agriculture related uses will be able to possess a hospital, school, and a sightseeing facility sometime next year.

In addition, the lands which are hard to be reclaimed and cultivated by machineries due to its precipitous inclination and closeness to the mountainous sides, will be designated tentatively as an “Agrarian Improvement Area,” and have recreation facilities or farm life experience camps.

The agricultural ministry, on February 19, revealed that they prepared the tentative plan for, “mid and long-term measures for farmland improvement” in order to efficiently manage agricultural land, and face the upcoming opening of the agricultural market.

Undergoing several discussions in relevant governmental agencies and public hearings, this tentative measure will be confirmed as a governmental policy by the end of May, and carried out from early next year by improving the agricultural land related law.

Government has decided that as the various agriculture promotion areas are cultivated with an exclusive agricultural use, markets which deal with the agricultural products will be admitted and be established.

In addition, as to the areas where the mechanized farming is impossible, among the farmlands which are now designated as a government-managed land in accordance with the national land plan act, will be freshly appointed as the “Agrarian Improvement Area” in order to allow the establishment of recreation facilities and farm life experience camps. Also, sleeping accommodations that are proper for the realities of countryside will be permitted under a certain restrictions.

In order to attract capital of the urbanized area into the countryside, the government has also decided to repeal the restrictions on farm land possession and utilization. Instead, the farm owners who possess farmland inside of the agriculture promotion area will be rewarded with a sort of subsidy, “Compensation for Farmland Preservation.” The source of funding will be supplied by imposing an allotment on the illegal conversion of farmland.

What is an agriculture promotion area?

In order to preserve the superior farmland which is highly necessary for stable food production, the government had introduced a system in 1992. As of 2002, 10,630km² of farmland and 854km² of non-agricultural land were designated as the “promotion area” nationwide. Among the relevant farmland, 8,900km² was designated as the “promotion area” and 1,730km² was designated as the “agriculture protection area.”

Jin-Hup Song jinhup@donga.com