This study empirically investigated some problems with the criteria for subdividing the management zone in a rural area through a case study of Cheongsong-gun, Gyeongbuk and provided some suggestions for their improvement. To do this, the subdivision criteria in the guideline for developing urban management planning were firstly compared with those of Cheongsong-gun. Next, geographic information system(GIS) was used to do the cross-check analysis between the results from land suitability assessment and those from the subdivision in the management zone and to grasp the spatial relationships of a zone with its neighboring zones by analyzing the zoning inventory and comparing the areas. Finally, map analysis and field survey were conducted to examine the relevance to the actual situation of land use and focus interviews were done to analyze the civil complaint cases resulted from the subdivision in the management zone. This study found out three major categories of problems with the criteria for subdividing the management zone in Cheongsong-gun: the incomplete formalization of zoning, the inadequate decision criteria on the availability of land for development, and the biased consulting of the departments concerned. Some suggestions for their improvement were then provided in this study. The empirical results from this study can be used as the preliminary information for suggesting the right direction of the subdivision in the management zone within the rural areas in the near future.