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Ａ Land Policy Direction for Sustainable Development of Rural Society after the Unification of Korean Peninsula
Jeon, Un-Seong
At the time of the Japanese capitulation in 1945，two big powers, the United States and Soviet Union，tried to expand their political structures to prevail in the world. Consequently, Korea was divided into two zones with the border of 38th parallel; South occupied by the former, and North by the latter, which has resulted in the capitalist regime to South and communist regime to North. Since then, two Koreas have undergone totally different experience in politics, economy, society and culture.
Especially, at the time of the 1945 Liberation of Korea, the leaders of both sides had to put stress on land policies for farmers; for over 80% of two Koreas` population were farmers. This was an important issue for political leaders to gain public sentiment and establish strong regime on their sides because the land reform of landowner centered
land system had been a long-cherished desire for both poor farmers and tenants. The North Korea's land reform which was put into effect just right after the Liberation was first step to establish socialistic policy. South Korea, too, solidified the foundation of capitalist system through land reform.
Since then, South and North have made their own efforts to reach prosperity, but the economical gap between them has widened as South has developed so rapidly under the market economy system. Rural conditions under these different political systems have petrified the heterogeneous structures of each rural society. From this point of view, it is necessary that we should seek out a and policy for sustainable development of the rural society against the unification of Korean peninsula in the near future. If North accepts open-door policy, and market economy which allows two Koreas to share common bond by letting people have self-motivation to make profit, it will help to
reach reunification earlier than expected. Then, restructuring the rural communities industry including agricultural problem wills be an impending issue, and a rapid decrease of farming population, which consists of 40% of North's population, will be another presupposition. It is true that chronic food shortage of North Korea has been caused by an inefficient land system.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the current North Korea's land system and the process of systematical differentiation between South and North. And I suggest that land policy on North Korean territory should be implemented based on independent farming system which allows personal land ownership in unified Korea. |
