500-Year-Old Pine Tree at Risk of Withering... Haenam County 'Anxiously Concerned'

Published 30 Aug.2021 16:10(KST)

Weather observation equipment installed on the Susong Pine in front of Haenam County Office / ? Asia Economy

[Haenam＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] Jeonnam Haenam-gun is making every effort to protect the natural monument ‘Suseongsong’ as it pushes forward with relocating following the completion of the new government office building.

According to the county on the 30th, the Suseongsong (守城松) in the square in front of Haenam County Office is a pine tree about 17 meters tall and 3.18 meters in circumference, estimated to be around 500 years old. It is designated as Natural Monument No. 430.

Planted in the front yard of the Dongheon to commemorate the Battle of Dallyangjin (present-day Namchang, Bukpyeong-myeon) in the 10th year of King Myeongjong of Joseon (1555), where the Japanese pirates were repelled, the pine tree still symbolizes the protection of Haenam-eup and is loved by the residents.

Haenam-gun plans to complete the relocation of each department by the 10th of next month, and the old county office building is scheduled for demolition.

The issue is that with the demolition of the three-story old county office building, which has served as a windbreak, changes in the growing environment of the ‘Suseongsong’ are expected, prompting a research project on environmental changes in its growth conditions.

To this end, since June, Haenam-gun has installed an automatic weather observation tower about 5 meters away from the Suseongsong.

The automatic weather observation tower, operating until January 2023, is equipped with automatic sensors to collect data on wind direction, wind speed, temperature, humidity, etc., to measure changes before and after the demolition of the existing office building.

In the future, it will be used as reference material for preservation plans of the Suseongsong during the demolition of the old county office and the creation of the county citizens’ square.

The Haenam County Citizens’ Square, where the Suseongsong is located, will be developed into a historical, cultural experience, and communication plaza centered around the Suseongsong after the demolition of the three old county office buildings.

By the first half of next year, outdoor restrooms, ground fountains, nighttime landscape lighting, a children’s playground, and resting shelters accessible to people of all ages will be created within the existing county citizens’ square.

County Governor Myeong Hyun-gwan said, “The Suseongsong is a monument symbolizing the spirited nature of Haenam people, and we plan to conduct thorough preliminary investigations to ensure that the relocation of the office building does not affect its vegetation.” He added, “At the same time, we will do our best to develop the newly created county citizens’ square into the most beloved cultural complex space centered on the Suseongsong for the residents.”