Korea Farmland Register (농지대장): Buyer's Guide 2026

What is the farmland register (농지대장)?

It is the official record of farmland ownership and use. The head of the city, district, town or township office must draw it up and keep it (Farmland Act Art. 49(1)) ^[1].

The register exists so the state can see who owns farmland and how it is used, and manage it well (Art. 49(1)) ^[1]. It is drawn up for every piece of farmland, parcel by parcel (Decree Art. 70) ^[2].

“The farmland register shall include the location, parcel number, land category, area, owner, lease information and whether the land is in an agricultural promotion area, among other details.”

The office must update the register without delay when its contents change (Art. 49(4)). It may ask the owner to report, or send an official to check the land (Art. 49(3)) ^[1].

A computer file of the register counts as the register itself (Art. 49(5)) ^[1]. The register is kept that way, and 정부24 issues copies online, as covered below ^[6].

How is 농지대장 different from 농지원부?

They are the old and new names for the same record, but the record changed. The 농지원부 was kept per farmer; the 농지대장 is kept per parcel, for all farmland ^{[4] [5]}.

The ministry announced the per-parcel switch on 13 October 2021. It took effect on 15 April 2022, and dropped the old 1,000㎡ minimum ^[4].

The new name came with the 2021 Farmland Act amendment (Act No. 18401). Its register articles took effect one year after promulgation, which the ministry gives as 18 August 2022 (Addendum Art. 1) ^{[1] [5]}.

The ministry said old 농지원부 records would be copied and kept for 10 years, so farmers could still request them ^[4]. In practice, ask the township office if you need a pre-2022 record.

What does the farmland register record?

The law lists the core fields: location, parcel number, land category, area, owner, lease information and agricultural promotion area status (Art. 49(2)) ^[1]. Each field answers a buyer's question.

Facilities enter the register through change reports. When an owner or tenant reports a farm facility, the office checks the building or temporary-building record through shared government data (Rule Art. 57-2(2)) ^[3].

Surveys feed it too. Counties must survey farmland ownership and use, and have the results reflected in the farmland register (Art. 54(1), (9)) ^[1].

However, the register is not a title document. Ownership itself is shown in the court registry, which the guide to Korean property records explains field by field.

Who can get a copy of the farmland register, and how?

On 정부24, only the owner or the tenant recorded on the register can get a copy. You need a digital certificate to prove who you are ^[6].

At the office, 정부24 lists a copy as immediate, within 3 working hours. If the record first needs a new entry or a correction, it lists 10 days in total ^[6].

The rule allows an oral or written request, including electronic documents (Rule Art. 58(1)). Viewing the register itself takes place in the office, with an official present (Art. 58(2)) ^[3].

Staff who handle the register must not disclose its contents to others (Rule Art. 56(3)) ^[3]. So, in practice, a buyer cannot simply look up a stranger's parcel ^[6].

What must owners and tenants report within 60 days?

Four kinds of change. The owner or tenant must apply to update the register within 60 days of the change (Farmland Act Art. 49-2) ^[1].

• A lease or use loan (사용대차) of the farmland is signed, changed or ended ^[1].
• A farm production facility is installed, such as a greenhouse, barn, insect-rearing house or 농막 (Art. 2(1)(b); Decree Art. 2(3)) ^{[1] [2]}.
• A convenience facility for farm work is installed: a toilet, a car park or a rural stay shelter (농촌체류형 쉼터) (Art. 2(1)(c); Decree Art. 2(4)) ^{[1] [2]}.
• Any other case set by ministry ordinance ^[1].

The process uses one form, the 농지대장 이용정보 변경신청서. For a lease, attach the lease or use-loan contract, and file it with the office where the land lies (Rule Art. 57-2(1)) ^[3]. There is no fee ^[7].

The duty covers leases signed, changed or ended, and facilities installed, from 18 August 2022 ^{[5] [7]}. It applies to the owner or the tenant, so either side can file.

What should a buyer check in the farmland register?

Check that it matches the other records and the site. A gap in owner, area, lease or facilities is a question to settle before you pay a deposit.

Start with the owner and area. The register lists them (Art. 49(2)) ^[1], so compare them with the court registry. If they differ, ask the township office which record is out of date.

Then read the lease information. A recorded lease means someone else may be farming the land, so ask the seller who it is and when the lease ends.

Next, check the agricultural promotion area entry. The register records it (Art. 49(2)) ^[1], and it signals stricter farmland zoning. Confirm what it allows with the county before you plan any building.

Finally, walk the site. A 농막 or greenhouse on the land should match a reported facility. For the shed rules, see the farm shed guide.

How does the register relate to the farmland certificate and 자경증명?

They are separate documents from the same office. The register records the land; the farmland acquisition certificate lets you buy it; the 자경증명 proves that a farmer farms it personally ^{[1] [3]}.

Buying farmland generally needs a farmland acquisition certificate, with listed exceptions (Art. 8) ^[1]. The farmland acquisition certificate guide explains who qualifies and how to apply.

A self-farming farmer or farm corporation can ask for a 자경증명 (Art. 50(2)) ^[1]. The office checks the farming situation and, if self-farming is clear, issues it within 7 days of the application (Rule Art. 59(2)) ^[3].

After you buy, the register follows you. The office updates it when its contents change (Art. 49(4)) ^[1], and any later lease or new shed is yours to report within 60 days.

The register is one of the checks in the rural house checklist. To look up a specific address, use address search, or browse rural listings.

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