[Ko Gyu-hong's Trees and People] These Trees Are Dying... Might Not See Them Next Christmas

<16>Halla Mountain Kusan Pine Colony

First Discovered on Halla Mountain in 1907
French Catholic Priest and Botanist
Introduced Korean Fir to the World

Compact Size and Beautiful Shape
Selected as a Dwarf Tree Variety
Rapidly Spread Worldwide

Native Tree Populations Declining
Above 1400m on Halla Mountain Severely Affected
Climate Change is the Main Cause
No Solution, Extinction Risk Discussed

The Korean fir trees that grow naturally on Hallasan appear starting from an altitude of one thousand meters above sea level.

Among the trees disappearing from our land, there is one that has caught the attention of people worldwide. It is the Korean fir, a tree that grows only in Korea. The Korean fir is a native species found only in high-altitude areas such as Hallasan on Jeju Island, as well as Jirisan, Deogyusan, and Mudeungsan mountains.

The Korean fir first caught the eye of botanists in 1907 on Hallasan in Jeju. At that time, Father Urbain Faurie (1847?1915), a Catholic priest and botanist affiliated with the Paris Foreign Missions Society, discovered it and realized it was a special tree different from those previously known. Two years later, in 1909, Father Emile Tak? (1898?1952), also from the same society, found this special tree, made specimens, and reported it to the botanical communities in the United States and Europe without naming it.

Around this time, there was a Japanese botanist named Takenoshin Nakai (1882?1952), who meticulously studied the plants of the Korean Peninsula. Before the modern botanical system was fully established in Korea, Nakai carefully investigated the vegetation of the peninsula and developed a plant classification system. Nakai had previously examined the Korean fir but failed to recognize its unique characteristics, mistaking it for a similar-looking Abies species and overlooked it.

The botanist who showed active interest in the true nature of the Korean fir was Ernest Wilson from Harvard University in the United States. While examining East Asian plant specimens, Wilson took an interest in an unnamed specimen collected from Hallasan, which had been sent by the two priests from the Paris Foreign Missions Society. To identify the tree, Wilson visited Korea, climbed Hallasan with Father Tak?, and confirmed that this tree was an endemic species native only to the Korean Peninsula. He then reported this to the global botanical community. Known locally in Jeju dialect as ‘Kusalnang,’ this tree was henceforth named ‘Korean fir’ and recognized worldwide as a Korean endemic species of the pine family.

The landscape of the Kusuangnamu tree colony near Baengnokdam as seen from Jindallaebat Shelter.

While the American botanist was introducing the Korean fir to the world, European Catholic priests who received Father Tak?’s Korean fir specimens thought it would be suitable for use as Christmas trees. Traditionally, fir trees had been widely used for Christmas trees, but their large and robust size posed some inconveniences. However, the Korean fir, being of the same genus as fir trees, was noted for its compact size and much more beautiful shape, making it more convenient.

European botanists and landscape architects selected Korean fir varieties better suited for use as Christmas trees. The newly selected Korean fir varieties were generally smaller than the native Korean fir. Many of the Christmas tree Korean fir varieties include the term ‘dwarf’ in their names for this reason. These varieties, selected mainly in Europe, were welcomed as Christmas trees and quickly became known worldwide, being consumed by many people every Christmas.

From then until now, the trees most commonly used as Christmas trees are not our native Korean fir but new varieties selected by Western plant experts based on the Korean fir. It is an exaggeration to say that Korean fir varieties are “the most widely used Christmas tree species in the world,” but it is true that they are consumed in large quantities. This is a natural outcome since these varieties were originally selected for Christmas tree use.

The Hallasan Kuksang tree, its entire body covered in a thick layer of white snow, is mysteriously beautiful.

Those who import and consume Korean fir varieties must naturally pay intellectual property (IP) royalties for these varieties. This is not a royalty for the Korean fir itself but for the intellectual work invested in selecting new varieties based on the Korean fir as the base species. Even when importing Korean fir varieties into Korea, the country of origin, it is appropriate to pay royalties for the intellectual work involved in the selection process.

There are sometimes misunderstandings about paying royalties when re-importing our native Korean fir, but this is incorrect. International conventions and common sense dictate that no other country can claim property rights over native biological resources. Royalties are paid not when re-importing the Korean fir but when importing Korean fir varieties selected for Christmas tree use.

It should also be noted that it is not accurate to call the Korean fir the “origin of the Christmas tree.” The tradition of decorating trees at Christmas has long been part of Western culture, but the Korean fir has been known to them for less than 100 years. Even before Korean fir varieties were selected, Westerners used fir and spruce trees decorated with various ornaments around Christmas as Christmas trees. Therefore, the Korean fir cannot be the origin of the Christmas tree.

Despite the twists and turns, our native Korean fir has now become a tree welcomed worldwide as a Christmas tree. It is deeply regrettable that the development of plant-related technologies to apply our native trees to global festive cultures has lagged far behind the West.

However, it remains a source of pride that the beautiful tree widely used by people worldwide for Christmas decorations originates from our native tree. Moreover, among the many Christmas tree varieties, the base species with the strongest genes grows only on our land, which may present us with good opportunities in the future. The genes of selected varieties are not as strong as those of the base species, and someday the strongest genes of the base species will be needed.

Consequently, the global interest in Korean fir as a Christmas tree naturally focuses on the base species, which in turn concentrates attention on the Korean fir colonies on Hallasan, Jeju Island, where the tree was first discovered. However, there is a problem that prevents us from simply enjoying this. The Korean fir is gradually disappearing even from our land. As reported by various media, the phenomenon of Korean fir dieback is increasingly being observed. Mass dieback has been found not only in Jirisan and Deogyusan but also on Hallasan.

Scenery of the Pinus koraiensis forest formed near Baengnokdam.

The Korean fir colonies on Hallasan are in a truly tragic state. The condition of the Korean fir growing in colonies above 1,200 meters is astonishing. Dead trees stripped of their last leaves long ago, leaving only bare skeletons, line up in rows. These dead trees are not just a few but form entire colonies. Above 1,400 meters, it is difficult to find living Korean firs. The situation is so dire that it could be called a cemetery of dead Korean firs. It is clear at a glance that talking about “endangered species” is no exaggeration.

What is more serious is that there is still no effective way to improve the growth crisis of the Korean fir. While detailed investigation and research into the various causes of the Korean fir’s death are needed, current research results point to climate change as the biggest cause. If climate change on this land continues as it is, the precious opportunity to exercise property rights over our native biological resources will inevitably fade away.

Protecting the Korean fir and its genes well is not only a process of enhancing the value of our biological resources but also a foundation for us to live more peacefully. There is no longer any room for hesitation. It is an urgent and critical task given to us living on this land to recognize the signals sent by the Korean fir suffering in the increasingly hot climate of the Korean Peninsula and to establish countermeasures. Tree Columnist

Ko Gyu-hong, Tree Columnist

Goh Kyuhong, Tree Columnist.

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