한국전쟁 시기 북한의 남한지역 토지개혁

A Study on Land Reform in South Korea during the Korean War

This article investigates the process of Land Reform in the territory of South Korea, captured by North Korean army in the early period of Korean War. North Korea wanted to get solid support from South Koreans, conducting the election of people’s commissions and the Land Reform. During the reign of People’s Republic Land Reform in South Korea was carried on the basis of not completely rescinding Agrarian Reform conducted by Seung-man Rhee’s government before the War. North Korean authorities could not help recognizing farmers’ proprietary rights of lands that was acquired from landowners. Small farmers in South Korean Land Reform occupied the largest proportion in population numbers and scale of land distribution while landless farmers in North Korean reform(1946) made up the majority. It was involved with the reduction of absolute numbers of landless farmers as the result of sale of farming land by landowners and the Agrarian Reform of Seung-man Rhee’s government. There were commons between these two reforms like the abolition of tenant system, land distribution method, organization of Rural Commission. Though North Korean Land Reform was leaded by political powers, it seemed to reflect historical justification and people’s request to some extent. But Land Reform in South Korea was hard to get a lot of spontaneous support from South Korean farmers under wartime conditions. In the situations of an unpredictable war many people took wait-and-see attitude and didn’t have confidence over social change. Therefore, Land Reform in South Korea was more or less considered as ‘imposed’ one from top.