The government has announced plans to ease regulations on farmland to facilitate the establishment of vertical farms and rural stay facilities for urban residents. This initiative aims to modernize agriculture and address the issue of rural depopulation. There is also an intention to relax greenbelt regulations to provide space for new industries.

On the 21st, President Yoon Suk-yeol held a public livelihood discussion titled "Rebuilding Korea! New Leap for Ulsan and South Korea" at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center in Ulju, Ulsan. President Yoon has been conducting new year briefings from government ministries in a discussion format involving public participation, and this was the 13th such event.

At the discussion, which was organized to explore new economic growth drivers for Ulsan and South Korea, President Yoon expressed his commitment to reforming farmland regulations. He highlighted that there are 336 types of land use regulations managed by 12 central ministries and local governments and stated, “We will conduct a thorough review and quickly reform outdated regulations that do not keep up with the times.”

First, President Yoon mentioned lifting the location regulations for vertical farms to promote agricultural modernization. Currently, building vertical farms in container or building forms on farmland requires specific procedures. In his opening remarks, President Yoon said, “Vertical farms not only produce agricultural products but also export agricultural technology to create high added value. We will lift regulations that require individual farmland conversion or temporary use permits for establishing vertical farms.”

The president also announced plans to lift regulations on small, low-value farmland. “By easing utilization regulations on low-value farmland, we can allow various facilities and vertical farms to be established, which will improve the quality of life for rural residents by allowing the construction of schools and hospitals on land that couldn’t be used before,” he emphasized.

The government also revealed plans to permit temporary stay facilities for urban residents on farmland. An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) stated during the discussion, “We will actively consider ways to install rural stay spaces on farmland to make it easier for urban residents to visit rural areas.”

Additionally, the government plans to significantly relax greenbelt regulations. President Yoon said, “We will overhaul the uniform criteria for lifting greenbelt restrictions for the first time in 20 years, and we will create standards to allow economic utilization of greenbelts around railway stations or urban areas, regardless of their preservation grade.”

Some critics are concerned that the influx of development into rural areas could lead to unregulated development and excessive farmland damage. Kim Seong-dal, Secretary-General of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, questioned, “How can large-scale deregulation of farmland be considered a livelihood measure when the recent public discussions seem entirely focused on deregulation for businesses?” Ha Won-oh, chairman of the Korean Peasants League, also criticized, “It is contradictory for the Yoon administration, which has identified securing food sovereignty as a national task, to ease regulations on the farmland that is its foundation.”

An MAFRA official attending the discussion said, “Farmland is the foundation for producing the nation's food, but if it can be used in various ways to benefit the people, its value will be even greater. We will systematically preserve high-quality farmland while improving systems in ways that benefit the public.”

Yang Seok-hoon, Reporter shakun@nongmin.com

Source: [Nongmin](https://www.nongmin.com/article/20240221500754)