[Agricultural, Fisheries, and Livestock Newspaper=Reporter Park Yu-shin] The government has begun an investigation into the causes of the rapidly increasing rice false smut disease. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been conducting a detailed investigation into the current status of rice false smut disease damage and its causes since the 1st, mainly in the coastal areas of South and North Jeolla and the central regions of South Chungcheong. Rice false smut disease mainly occurs in early direct-seeding cultivation and when soil nutrients are insufficient after heading. Initially, dark brown lesions resembling sesame seeds appear on the leaves, and in severe cases, dark brown spots form on the rice grains, causing damage such as reduced rice quality. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, over the past 10 years, rice false smut disease has averaged 16,000 hectares annually across the country.