The principle of farmland regulation should be placed on usage, not on ownership of land. This is because the regulation on the utilization of farmland is more appropriate to the current farmland system and can become more supportive of the development of Korean agriculture.
There are three steps to accomplish the reformation of the farmland system. The first step is to build on and update the current regulation to minimize the gap between the system and reality. In this step, the land-to-the-tillers principle should not be changed but it is necessary to select effective policies to resolve the gap. The second step is to change the land-to-the-tillers principle by abolishing the regulation on ownership. However, this step requires protection of tillers. The third step is to abolish the land-to-the-tillers principle and establish a new basic principle of farmland system in case uncertainty remains or there are limits to enforcing the usage regulation-centered farmland system due to modification of the Constitution.
Farmland preservation has been emphasized due to food security. In addition, 80% of citizens point out the significance of farmland preservation, a recent survey on social consciousness showed. However, the current system for farmland preservation has several limitations due to such factors as ambiguous concept of optimal area of farmland and abolishment of designation of alternative farmlands.
The reformation of farmland preservation system has to be developed in a way that "essential" farmlands need to be consistent in terms of quantity. Also, some portions of essential farmlands must always remain as preserved farmlands. The first stage of reformation is to designate, among the current high-grade farmlands, prime farmlands with high limitations on diversion of use. The second stage is to establish a new principle to prevent speculative demand for farmlands since the ownership regulation will disappear. Finally, preservation and diversion of farmland should be addressed systematically with detailed planning because the ownership of farmland will be fully liberalized.