The characteristics of agricultural water rights were examined for the national rivers in Korea. We suggest that the national rivers could according to the actual management organization of agricultural water right be categorized into national management rivers KOWACO(Korea Agrcultural & Rural Infrastructure COrporation) management river. The agricultural water right between the national and KOWACO management rivers have different characteristics for irrigation period permit procedure water charge and type of water right. The agricultural water rights are granted in the natural discharge less than reference droughty discharge for most of national management rivers and in the developed discharge for the KOWACO and KARICO management rivers. The current system of agricultural water rights is complicated inconsistent and incapable of coping with unusual drought and therefore it needs to be improved.
