South Korean farmland acquisitions by foreigners show rising Chinese ownership

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs reveals that between 2022 and August 2025, foreigners acquired a total of 2,070,368 square meters of farmland in South Korea. While overall foreign farmland acquisition decreased by 27.9% during this period, the proportion of land acquired by Chinese nationals has risen significantly. In 2022, Chinese acquisitions accounted for 26.8% of the total, but this figure climbed to 48.6% in 2025.

By nationality, Chinese citizens acquired 682,948 square meters (33.0%), followed by Americans with 512,253 square meters (24.7%), Canadians with 208,190 square meters (10.1%), and Japanese nationals with 42,975 square meters (2.1%).

Regionally, Gyeonggi-do saw the highest volume of acquisitions at 473,619 square meters. Gyeongsangbuk-do ranked second with 260,027 square meters, followed by Chungnam, Chungbuk, and Gangwon. Representative Kim Seon-kyo expressed concern regarding food security, noting that the concentration of farmland ownership in specific countries necessitates improved institutional management and oversight of foreign-owned agricultural land.