A rural bed and breakfast business is a business of providing accomodations, cooking facilities, breakfast, etc., to guests by using the detached houses and multi-unit houses inhabited by residents of rural areas or quasi-rural areas to raise the income thereof and started as part of efforts to preserve agricultural and fishing income in response to the opening of the agricultural and fishing market in accordance with the Uruguay Round settlement in 1993.

Such business, however, is not just a means of preserving agricultural and fishing household income, but is also developing into a form which promotes economic and social development, etc., of rural areas by promoting interaction between cities and rural areas, developing tourism resources there, etc. Thus, there is a growing demand for a systematic measure to facilitate the development and support for related industries.

In response, this Act on the development and support of rural bed and breakfast business aims to promote the advancement of the relevant business and to provide a basis for raising income and development of rural areas.

Details

A. The purpose of this Act is to contribute to increasing the income of rural areas and the sound development of the national economy by prescribing matters necessary to the development and support of rural bed and breakfast business, thereby promoting the advancement of the business and providing a basis for its development (Article 1).

B. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries shall establish a comprehensive plan on the development and support of the rural bed and breakfast business after consultations with related heads of central administrative agencies every five (5) years for the development and support of rural bed and breakfast business (Article 4).

C. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs or the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries may conduct fact-finding investigations regarding the current status of rural bed and breakfast business to efficiently establish and carry out the comprehensive plan and enforcement plan (Article 5).

D. A person who plans to operate a rural bed and breakfast business shall make a report to the Mayor, head of a Gun or head of a Gu as a rural bed and breakfast business operator, and the size of such business shall be a house with a total floor area less than 230 square meters and auxiliary facilities with a total floor area less than 230 square meters (Article 6 and Article 7).

E. A rural bed and breakfast business operator may establish an association to promote the sound development of rural bed and breakfast business and common interest (Article 11).

F. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries or the head of a local government may provide startup fund/technology/management consultation and/or administrative/technical support to rural bed and breakfast business operators and/or legal entities/organizations related to such business to create and promote a basis for development of rural bed and breakfast business (Article 12).

G. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries or the head of a local government may implement policies necessary for the investigation, research and/or public relations, etc., for the development and support of rural bed and breakfast business, and may conduct education and training for related workers to spread and/or teach cases of advanced rural bed and breakfast business, etc. (Article 13, Article 14).

Ensure that a person who plans to manage rural bed and breakfast business shall make a report to the Mayor, head of a Gun or head of a Gu as rural bed and breakfast business operator, and that such a person shall also make a report when changing the contents of the report or when closing down the business (Article 6)

Ensure that the size of a facility where rural bed and breakfast business may be conducted shall be a house with total floor area less than 230 square meters and appurtenant facilities with total floor area less than 230 square meters (Article 7)

Prescribe matters for compliance by rural bed and breakfast business operators (Article 8)

Ensure that a Mayor, head of a Gun or head of a Gu may order the suspension of a business, suspension of use of certain facilities or shutdown of the place of business in case rural bed and breakfast business operator does not conduct business without justifiable reason for one (1) year or more, etc. (Article 9)