• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.357-373
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• 2006

The study aims to explore the individual and group agreement of the direct payment of less-favored areas in Japan. This study was conducted by literature review, specialist interview and field visiting. The results of this study were as follows. First, direct payment policy in Japan was consisted of three components which were to maintaining multiple functions, to reorient agriculture sector, and to revitalizing the community activities. Second, the purposes of direct payments with conversion program is to reorient agriculture and revitalize the community activities which were changed from sustaining existing agriculture. Third, the conditions of group agreement is to make a agreement that a group of farmers should make a five-year agreement stipulating activities necessary to prevent the abandonment of farmland and to be more than one hector, and good agricultural practice or other activities favorable or friendly to environment should be implemented. As individual and group agreement, the land area of direct payment was 662,000 ha in less favored areas. In conclusion after direct payment in less favored areas, the abandonment of farmland was mitigated, and the agricultural production activities and community activities had become more vigorous through the discussion for planning their own land in the village.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.74-90
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• 2001

Serious depopulation has occurred since the rapid economic growth after $1965{\sim}1995$. As a result, nowadays most of mountain villages face difficulty in maintaining and managing their settlement, because of the elderly population and the extremely small size of the settlement. Population change is understood as the origin of depopulation problems and the criterion for the depopulation. This study aims to identify the problems of over-depopulation in rural Korea and to classify the patterns and process of follow and to provide policy alternatives. It consists with the three parts : identifying the problems of over- depopulation, classifying the socio-economic factors of fallow land, analyzing a detailed case study of follow land in over-depopulation rural area-Sangju Gun and to provide policy alternatives. The results are summarizes as follows: 1) In the study area, the amount of fallow and abandoned cultivated land has increased since 1975. With the increased urbanization, the cause of the increase in fallow and abandoned cultivated-land is the labor shortage of quantity and quality. The underlying reasons for the abandonment of farmland are poor field conditions and the lack of rented farmland. 2) The secondary cause is a relative labor shortage through specialization into intensive horticulture. In the study area, specialization into pear requires intensive labor input. It has caused a relative labor shortage. 3) The third causes are landowner and the lack of rented farmland due to labor shortage. The declining of agriculture and forestry have caused out-migration and increased non-residents' landowner. 4) The fallow patterns are devided into two types the less favored farmland fallow type, non-residents' landowner(out-migrator) fallow type. The significant causes of the increase in fallow and abandoned cultivated land are the labor shortage, intensive farming, less favored farmland conditions, non-residents' landowner. The factors which caused the follow processes in Korea are socio-economic factors (labor shortage, intensive farming, less favored farmland conditions) and cultural factor(non-residents' landowner, psychological ties between rural areas and urban areas).

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.75-87
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to investigate the location characteristics of the rice paddy fields and to predict shrinking areas of them. The study area is in South Korea nationwide, and a 300×300m raster level is adopted as a spatial analysis unit. The binary logit model and spatial simulation model are employed for the analyses. As a result, population, industry, climate and nature, and accessibility play a significant role in determining rice paddy fields' locations. It is predicted that the shrinking rate will be high in Gangwon-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do until 2027. The hot spots are intensively shaped in the inland of Gangwon-do, eastern parts of Gyeonggi-do, and the borders of Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollabuk-do between Charyeong and Sobaek mountain ranges. Using Gimcheon-si as an example, the study suggests fundamental policy implications for taking advantage of the simulation results from the lens of local agriculture. Several policy measures are proposed for improving management strategies for the rice paddy fields in the long run.