The government plans to purchase farmland confirmed to violate South Korea’s Farmland Act under next year’s tailored farmland support program, with ₩886.8 billion ($659.5 million) allocated for related measures. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has conducted the country’s first nationwide farmland survey since May under President Lee Jae-myung’s directive to identify land held for speculative purposes. The preliminary survey classified approximately 2.84 million parcels, or 27% of all parcels inspected, as suspected violations. Illegal leasing was the most common suspected breach at 21.1%, followed by unauthorized fallowing at 11.6% and illegal conversion at 9%. In-depth investigations will continue through the end of the year. Confirmed violations will result in disposal orders, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation will purchase the farmland if owners neither sell it nor cultivate it within the designated period. The allocation represents about 95% of the ministry’s ₩925.7 billion total new-project budget for next year. Purchased land will be leased at low cost to young and full-time farmers, although the ministry said the budget could change once the investigation determines the final purchase volume. Agricultural industry representatives urged the government to account for rural aging and broken farm-succession chains, which can make leasing necessary.