'Pine Wilt Nematode Prevention'... Gyeonggi-do's Full Effort to Control Vector Insect Northern Longhorn Beetle

109 Billion Won Invested... Intensive Pest Control and Preventive Medicine Injection for 10,000 Trees

Inspection of Pest Control Sites in Pyeongtaek City [Gyeonggi Province]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Youngcheol] Gyeonggi Province announced on the 17th that it plans to make every effort in pest control projects before April, when the northern longhorn beetle, the vector insect of pine wilt disease, matures into an adult ahead of spring.

Pine wilt disease usually occurs when adult northern longhorn beetles feed on new pine shoots, releasing pine wood nematodes into the wounds on the tree, which then multiply and cause the tree to wither and die.

The province aims to reduce the number of damaged and dead trees to "less than 10,000," which can be managed ecologically this year.

To this end, it has secured a budget of 10.9 billion KRW and plans to complete intensive pest control on pine trees by the end of March in cooperation with the Korea Forest Service, city and county governments, and other related organizations, followed by injecting nematode prevention agents into the trees.

In particular, a three-stage management supervision and cooperation system will be activated to ensure strong pest control activities.

In the first stage, since December last year, a "inspection team" consisting of the Korea Forest Service, Korea Forestry Promotion Institute, field special officers, and other local governments has been formed to conduct joint inspections and strengthen on-site management and supervision of pest control projects.

In the second stage, since January this year, regional officers composed of senior officials from the Korea Forest Service have visited cities and counties such as Icheon, Paju, and Pocheon, where pest control projects are underway, to request local government interest and support.

The third stage, starting in February, involves the provincial government identifying the status of projects within the province, conducting inspections in cities and counties where pest control projects are lagging, and consulting on additional measures based on the results.

The province plans to declare "pine wilt disease clean zones" for cities and counties that complete pest control projects by March, and will reflect incentives such as emergency pest control fund support, priority allocation of the 2023 pest control budget, as well as evaluations and awards for cities and counties.

Lee Seonggyu, Director of the Forestry Division, said, "Early detection and proactive, rapid pest control of infected trees are the top priorities to minimize damage from pine wilt disease," adding, "We will cooperate with the Korea Forest Service, city and county governments, and related organizations to promptly complete pest control projects and make every effort to prevent damage."

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