Area of Potential Arable Land Distributed on Hill side

개발가능지의 분포면적(分布面積)

The land utilization of Korea composed about 22.7% of arable land, 66.9% of forest land and 10.4% for the rest like a house site, road, and lake etc. The ratio of arable land is too small as compared with forest land which is occuping two-thirds of Korea. The expansion of arable land by the reclamation will solve the food problems for increasing populations. First, we have to know the exact extents and distribution of reclaimable land but the reported total extent of reclaimable land in Korea is variable according to the authority which carried out the soil survey. The different reported data of reclaimable land is owing to the method and criteria of soil survey. 840,522ha in Land Capability Survey of the Farm Land Improvement Association and 321,203ha in the Forest Land Survey by the Office of Forest was reported but the Office of Rural Development said that total reclaimable land was 1,400,540ha including grazing and fruit land. To assume the extent of reclaimable land, the soil survey method and criteria of soil survey should be considered. It can be considered that the main reasons of less in extent of reclaimable land in the other authorities than the Office of Rural Development is due to the following. The grazing land and the fruits land are not included by the Farm Land Improvement Association and only relative forest is considered by the Office of Forest. The main purpose of soil survey carried out by the Office of Rural Development is to utilize land of Korea at most. The soil characteristics and potential productivity are considered in soil survey and the reported data was based on reconnaissance soil survey. The more accurate data will be find out by the end of 1979 when the detailed soil survey will be done. In selection of cropping system and management, the soil condition should be considered, because the soil characteristics of reslaimed land is less fertile than the arable lands.