Farmland ownership in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do exceeds 25% by non-residents

Data reveals that over a quarter of farmland in the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do regions is owned by non-residents. In Gyeongsangbuk-do, 26.6% of the 324,500 hectares is held by outsiders, ranking third nationally behind Jeollanam-do and Chungcheongnam-do. In Daegu, non-resident ownership stands at 26.5%.

While much of this ownership involves small-scale plots under 0.5 hectares, concerns exist regarding potential illegal leasing or disguised self-farming. The government plans to conduct a full-scale investigation to verify whether these owners are actually cultivating the land.

Simultaneously, the principle of ‘land to the tiller’ faces challenges due to rapid rural aging. In Gyeongsangbuk-do, 59.2% of the farming population is aged 65 or older. This demographic shift makes direct cultivation difficult, leading many elderly farmers to lease land to neighbors or leave it fallow.

There is a growing demand for farmland pensions as elderly farmers seek retirement income. In Gyeongsangbuk-do, the number of people on waiting lists for farmland pensions increased significantly. Experts suggest that government investigations must distinguish between speculative land ownership and the practical realities of an aging agricultural workforce, such as inheritance and physical inability to farm.