President Lee Jae Myung defended a nationwide farmland survey as essential to curb speculation, enforce the principle that farmers should own farmland and reform real estate practices. He accused speculators of spreading false narratives to weaken support for enforcement and said reforms must continue despite opposition. The government and local authorities identified 2.84 million parcels nationwide as suspected Farmland Act violations, including illegal leasing and unauthorized fallow land, with detailed investigations continuing until year-end. Owners who receive disposal orders generally have one year to sell, while unjustified noncompliance can trigger a compulsory enforcement fee equal to 25% of the higher of the appraised or publicly announced land value. Lee said elderly owners who can no longer farm and inherited farmland should not be targeted, and the ruling and government parties agreed on Sept. 21 to exempt such holdings from forced sales when no speculative intent is found. Separately, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung said the government is considering using the Farmland Bank to purchase farmland that cannot be privately sold. A separate basic survey identified suspected violations in 27% of cases, representing about 300,000 hectares; Song stressed these were suspicions, not confirmed violations or finalized dispositions. The People Power Party criticized the government’s handling as amateur governance that moved too quickly and then sought to repair the consequences.