After the global food crisis that took place in 2007 and 2008, food importing countries around the world actively took part in discussion on food security, and the competition to secure food resources is becoming more intense around the world. Since 2008, China, Japan and GCC(Gulf Cooperation Council) countries have been competing against one another to secure overseas farmlands. Those countries are, in particular, looking to farmlands in Africa and Southeast Asia and are in the process of securing numerous overseas farmlands, with the combined number of overseas farmlands that were secured by those countries standing at more than 100 in 2008 alone.
Korea, for its part, is coming up with ways to increase food self-sufficiency rate for food security, and introducing and implementing overseas agricultural development polices. As part of overseas agricultural development policy, Korea established 10-year-plan for overseas agricultural development in June 2008 and has been carrying out overseas agricultural development projects since 2009. Although Korea came to establish the system in place to support overseas agricultural development at a policy level, but we need to establish an effective operating system for overseas agricultural development projects given that Korea's entry into this field is relatively new and competition over overseas agricultural development is getting intense around the world.
Among others, it is necessary to review and evaluate the implementation of overseas agricultural development carried out after 10-year-plan for overseas agricultural development, establish the necessary complementary measures, and improve the relevant institutions.
Amid increasing discussion over food security among food importing countries after 2007 and 2008 global food shortage crisis and rapid increase in international agricultural investment through securing of overseas farmlands, there exist two opposite views on securing of overseas farmlands: negative view that securing overseas farmlands equals Neo-Imperialism or Land Grab, and positive view that it is a new opportunity for agricultural development or the win-win strategy for countries. In order to facilitate a responsible overseas agricultural development investment, an appropriate international principle should be established that can allow for win-win situation where both investing country and recipient country benefit.

Researchers: Yong-taek Kim, Tae-jin Kwon, Byeong-Ryul Kim, Ik-su Jun, Jong-Yeol Yoon, Minji Nam and Urim Cho
E-mail address: yongkim@krei.re.kr