Violation of the basic public interest direct payment system and illegal payments are rapidly increasing... Over 4 years, reduction exceeds 9.5 billion won

The basic public interest direct payment system, which was introduced to promote public interest functions in agriculture and rural areas, is losing its purpose as more than 10,000 cases of violation of compliance regulations and illicit payment are subject to reductions every year.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 29th by Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong of the Democratic Party of Korea (Jeongeup-si, Gochang-gun, Jeollabuk-do), a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, the total number of violations of basic direct payment requirements over the past four years (2022-2025) was 47,131, and the amount of reduction was 9.5793 billion won.

The number of violations by year is 11,560 in 2022, 9,990 in 2023, 14,489 in 2024, and 11,092 in 2025.

By type, violations of maintaining the shape and function of farmland accounted for the most with 23,922 cases (50.8%), and the amount of reduction amounted to 6,307.6 million won (65.8%). The main cases were cases of no actual cultivation or neglect of waste land.

Violations of completion of public interest function promotion training increased 2.6 times from 2,703 cases in 2022 to 6,964 cases in 2025.

2,260 cases (KRW 599.2 million) of violations of safe pesticide use standards were detected over four years.

Illegal supply and demand also showed an increasing trend.

During the same period, a total of 5,864 cases of illegal supply and demand were reported, amounting to 5.874 billion won.

By year, it increased from 1,147 cases in 2022 to 2,163 cases in 2025.

On the other hand, the recovery rate compared to the amount eligible for redemption fell from 91.4% in 2022 to 86.6% in 2025, increasing the unredeemed balance to 761 million won.

Rep. Yoon said, “The continued occurrence of more than 10,000 violations every year is a problem that shakes the foundation of the direct payment system,” and urged, “It is necessary to apply the zero-tolerance principle for habitual and malicious illegal payments.”