During the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, land was left unattended without knowing the owner, delaying land development projects.
Even in Myeongdong, there are 3 plots of 1,000m2 abandoned land.
If there’s a story about ancestral land, it’s necessary to verify the ‘Land Survey Bureau’ from the Japanese colonial era even now.
The Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission recommends promoting the enactment of a ‘special law’ to help owners reclaim ownership.
The special law aims to give priority registration opportunities to initially registered owners or their heirs for unregistered land, while the rest becomes state-owned. If the true owner later appears, ownership will be returned or compensation will be given if return is not possible. Evidence of land ownership can primarily utilize the ‘Land Survey Bureau’ established during the Japanese colonial era.
About 1.6% of the country’s land, or 630,000 plots, remain as unregistered land with unclear ownership, and a special law is being promoted to allow real owners to find them.
On the 27th, the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission announced the need to create ‘Nationalization of Unregistered Adjusted Land Special Law’ to allow simple registration for verified true owners of unregistered land and handed over the remaining land to state management.
Unregistered adjusted land refers to land for which owners, areas, and boundaries were determined during the land survey of the Japanese colonial period (1910~1935), but the land remained unregistered for over 100 years due to factors like the owner’s death or defection to North Korea.
Nationwide, this land spans 544㎢—187 times the area of Yeouido—comprising 630,000 plots valued over 2.2 trillion won based on public price standards. By region, the Yeongnam area has 280,000 plots, followed by 190,000 in the Honam area, and 67,000 in Jeju.
In Seoul’s valuable Myeongdong, 3 plots covering 1,041m2 are still abandoned without finding an owner.
The rise in unregistered land stems from past practices where ownership could be transferred without registration, solely based on a contract.
Though registration became mandatory with the enforcement of the Civil Act in 1960, prior practices under the Joseon Civil Ordinance implemented in 1912 required registration only as a requirement against third parties, allowing rights to transfer based on contracts alone.
Consequently, many chose not to register due to fees, and over time—with the Korean War and 100 years passing—numerous cases arose with unclear successor status due to deaths or defections, prolonging non-registration.
When such land gets included in private development projects, inability to verify ownership delays or cancels the projects. This can lower the value of surrounding land and sometimes convert it into illegal dumping sites; consequently, around 7,000 complaints have been filed since 2012.
In response, the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission calls for nationwide surveys, collaborative consultations with relevant ministries and local governments, expert advice from constitutional and civil law scholars, and collection of opinions to recommend setting up measures like a special bill for unregistered adjusted land.
The improvement plan centers on giving initial registered owners or their heirs priority for registration for unregistered land, making remaining land state-owned, with subsequent appearance of true owners granting ownership return or compensation if return is not feasible.
The Land Survey Bureau from the Japanese colonial era can be primarily utilized for proving land ownership.
A commission official stated, “The Land Survey Bureau often includes the name and address of the landowner, so descendants need to verify if the address matches the current unregistered land.”
Yu Cheol-hwan, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, highlighted that resolving unregistered land will improve living conditions and expedite private land development projects, pledging continued efforts for stable residential environments for citizens.