Abstract
This study analyses the use of agri-environment concept in South Korean laws and tries to identify the limitations and improvements. The agri-environment has been used in the EU agricultural policy since the mid 1980s, and now became the most important policy in the rural development policy. It has been regarded as a concept explaining the various factors for agricultural production. However, the EU defines it as results of agricultural production which includes not only environmental and natural features but also social and historical resources in rural areas. This definition has played a key role in the 2013 reform of the CAP. Because many developed countries are implementing the agri-environmental policy, South Korea needs to introduce it soon. In doing so, this research explores how the current South Korean laws are dealing with the relationship between agriculture and environment. It reviews 34 laws in total and finds out neither act applying the concept of agri-environment, nor recognizing the role of agricultural production in biological and environmental conservation. Nevertheless, this research identifies that some acts could be a basis for introducing agri-environmental policy in South Korea if they may complement the interrelationship between the agricultural production and conservation of rural resources.
