The Democratic Party of Korea and the government said on the 21st they would pursue a special measures law to legally recognize farmland illegally converted for other uses. The decision followed a policy consultation in Seoul on the direction of the contentious full-scale farmland survey, which has triggered widespread farmer backlash. Democratic Party Representative Yoon Joonbyung said the approach would distinguish clear speculation and illegal conversion from customary violations arising from rural conditions. For facilities where conversion procedures were skipped, the plan would allow retroactive conversion after payment of a farmland preservation fee. The party and government aim to enact the special measures law by the end of this year and prepare a revised Farmland Act draft by the first half of next year, incorporating field opinions.