Choi Byeong-am, Korea Forest Service Chief, "Will Achieve Harmony Between 'Forest Protection and Management' While Upholding Basic Principles"

On the 17th, Choi Byung-am, the Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service, explained the basic principles held by the Korea Forest Service and the background and process of timber harvesting based on these principles at the Government Complex Daejeon. Photo by Korea Forest Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] “The basic principle of the Korea Forest Service is to ‘actively protect forests that need protection and intensively manage forests that can be utilized.’” This is what Choi Byung-am, head of the Korea Forest Service, said, dismissing claims of indiscriminate timber harvesting raised by some quarters.

According to the Korea Forest Service on the 18th, recently, civic and environmental groups as well as some media outlets have criticized the Korea Forest Service for promoting indiscriminate timber harvesting through its ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality Strategy.’

The main point is that in the process of harvesting trees over 30 years old and planting young trees, old trees that still have carbon absorption capacity are being cut down, which could reduce the forest’s function as a carbon sink.

However, the Korea Forest Service emphasizes that such criticism arises from a misunderstanding of the original purpose and intent of the current forest policy regarding timber harvesting.

First, South Korea is recognized as a representative country that succeeded in reforestation through the forest restoration projects of the 1970s and 1980s. On the other hand, the current annual timber harvest volume in South Korea is 4.8 million cubic meters, which is only 0.5% of the total forest stock volume domestically, ranking 27th among 29 major OECD countries.

The low timber harvest volume is the reason why the domestic timber self-sufficiency rate remains at around 16%, leading to the import of 84% of the total annual timber consumption from advanced forestry countries overseas such as New Zealand.

To improve this situation, since 2005, the Korea Forest Service has designated and operated economic forests to increase timber self-sufficiency and raise forestry income through timber harvesting.

Currently, economic forests cover an area of 2.34 million hectares nationwide (about one-third of the total forest area of 6.33 million hectares), and timber harvesting within economic forests is recognized as a legal forestry activity.

Timber harvesting is a type of forestry activity recognized and encouraged not only in South Korea but also internationally.

In fact, advanced countries such as Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan have long harvested timber as part of forest management, and recently, timber harvest volumes have been increasing in line with the growth in tree volume in these countries.

However, the Korea Forest Service maintains a common stance that indiscriminate timber harvesting, as raised by some, should be ‘cautiously guarded against.’ This aligns with the basic principle of forest management to ensure appropriate use and protection of forests.

Choi said, “Timber harvesting is a part of sustainable forestry involving planting, nurturing, and utilizing trees,” adding, “Moderate and proper timber harvesting is a process that must be respected for national economic development, maintaining forest health, and protecting the rights of forestry workers.”

Regarding concerns about harvesting old trees over 30 years old, the Korea Forest Service issued a separate position.

In response to claims that “although older trees absorb more carbon and have higher protection value, the Korea Forest Service is rather eager to cut down old trees,” Choi explained, “It is not simply about cutting old trees, but about evaluating the value of trees to protect those that need protection while selectively harvesting trees that should be removed for the overall health of the forest.”

In particular, Choi emphasized, “Some focus on the carbon absorption of individual trees rather than the forest’s total absorption, highlighting only that old trees increase the forest’s absorption capacity. However, the point at which one hectare of forest and a single tree absorb the maximum amount of carbon dioxide differ, and the results vary significantly depending on the comparison method.”

This can be interpreted as meaning that protecting old trees solely based on their age does not necessarily benefit forest management.

For example, in a one-hectare pine forest with 2,030 20-year-old trees, the carbon dioxide absorption is 10.1 tons per hectare, which is relatively higher than the 6.7 tons per hectare absorbed by 732 30-year-old trees planted in the same area.

This leads to the conclusion that although individual trees over 30 years old absorb more carbon dioxide, young trees densely populated in a forest absorb more carbon dioxide overall than a smaller number of old trees forming a forest.

However, the Korea Forest Service intends to engage in sufficient consultation and dialogue regarding recently highlighted issues.

Choi said, “Regarding some controversies including timber harvesting, the Korea Forest Service plans to actively collect and reflect the opinions of experts and stakeholders,” adding, “Through this process, we will revise and supplement the carbon neutrality strategy by September to prepare a high-quality forest plan.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.