Tourist Farm Business Plan Approval and Operator Report — Under 100,000㎡ and the 20% Farming Experience Rule

Procedure

1. 1. Confirm who may develop and the site size

   A tourist farm may be developed only by farmers or fishers, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, agricultural, forestry and fisheries cooperatives and their federations, fishing village associations, and agricultural or fishery corporations. A farmer includes a person who manages or cultivates at least 1,000㎡ of farmland, sells at least 1,200,000 won of farm products a year, or works in farming for at least 90 days a year. The project must stay under 100,000㎡, so the site area is set first.

2. 2. Plan the facilities and the farming experience area

   Farming experience facilities are mandatory, and the land and facilities used to produce farm or fishery products, such as planted fields, greenhouses and fish farms, must total at least 2,000㎡ and at least 20% of the approved development area. Natural forests, natural grassland and wildflower habitats do not count toward this area. Sales and food facilities must meet the Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, and sports facilities must meet the Enforcement Rule of the Installation and Utilization of Sports Facilities Act.

3. 3. Prepare the business plan and apply for approval

   The business plan, covering the name, location and size, the facility development plan and construction period, a land schedule with lot numbers, land categories and areas, a bird's-eye view, nearby tourism resources and road access, a funding plan by crop and facility, and the sale and operation plan, is submitted to the mayor, county head or district head. If the plan includes a building permit, development activity permit, farmland conversion permit or mountain land conversion permit, the approving authority consults the relevant agencies, and permits cleared through that consultation are deemed granted. The agencies must reply within 30 days of the consultation request, extendable by up to 10 days for unavoidable reasons.

4. 4. Apply for completion approval after construction

   When construction is finished, the operator applies to the approving authority for completion approval with a statement of project costs, a facility layout and status map, a maintenance plan for major facilities, completion documents including photographs, and a before-and-after area schedule. Once the work is found to match the approved plan, completion approval is granted and the completion inspections for the deemed permits are treated as passed. Land and facilities may be sold or leased only after the completion inspection.

5. 5. File the rural tourism and recreation site business report

   To operate, the operator files a business report with the mayor, county head or district head, attaching an operation plan covering use by crop and facility, product sales and operating funds, a floor plan of the business facilities, and a facility description. Once the report is accepted, a report certificate is issued, and the sports facility business, lodging or bathhouse business, and general restaurant, snack bar or bakery reports cleared through consultation are deemed filed. Any later change to the report requires a change report.

Required documents

• Tourist farm business plan (name, location, size, facility development plan and construction period)
• Land schedule (lot number, land category, area) and bird's-eye view of facility layout
• Funding plan by crop and facility, and sale and operation plan
• Documents proving eligibility to develop (farmer confirmation, agricultural corporation registry certificate, etc.)
• Rural tourism and recreation site business report and operation plan
• Floor plan of business facilities and facility description form
• Food sanitation training certificate (if a restaurant business is included)
• Letter of authorization (when filed by an agent)

Fees

Typically from several hundred thousand won to several million won across the industry · the fee is quoted after consultation, depending on site area and number of lots, the range of permits handled together such as farmland or mountain land conversion, whether lodging, food or sports facilities are included, and whether the operator report is also handled. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 2
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 81
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 83
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 84
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 85
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 87
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 89
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 106
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 114
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 130
• Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 132
• Enforcement Decree of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 72
• Enforcement Decree of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 74
• Enforcement Decree of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 84
• Enforcement Decree of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 90
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 47
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 48
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Article 50
• Enforcement Rule of the Rural Community Development and Improvement Act Annex 3
• Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Agriculture, Rural Community and Food Industry Article 3

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-07

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Changing the operator's name, the project boundary or land area, the project period, the location, size or use of facilities, or the sale and operation plan requires change approval in advance, and failing to file a change report when the reported details change during operation is subject to a fine of up to 1,000,000 won.
• A person who acquires or inherits a tourist farm must file a succession report within 1 month. Failing to report after acquiring the business is punishable by up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to 10,000,000 won.

Frequently asked questions