"Protect the Geumgang Pine That Saved Namdaemun!" ... United Colony's 'Overnight Defense Operation' Against Disaster

Suppression operation map of the Uljin Geumgang Pine forest.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] The Uljin Geumgang Pine Forest, said to have woven the royal crown of the Joseon Dynasty kings and saved Namdaemun Gate. A vast forest of 1,600 hectares with grandfather pines over 500 years old and Geumgang pines averaging 150 years old, intertwined in a four-season green primeval forest.

As the wildfire in Uljin, Gyeongbuk continues, the Gyeongbuk Fire Department is fighting desperately to defend the nationally important asset, the ‘Geumgang Pine Forest’.

The Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters is mobilizing all firefighting forces to early extinguish the Uljin wildfire, focusing all efforts on protecting residential areas and nationally important facilities.

On the 9th, another crisis struck the country’s largest Geumgang Pine Forest.

The wildfire that started overnight at the summit of Eungbongsan in Uljin moved southward adjacent to the Geumgang Pine Forest, approaching as close as 25 meters from the forest road in a tense situation.

It was a dangerous moment when 80,000 pine trees over 200 years old and protected trees over 500 years old, invaluable assets that cannot be measured in money, could have turned into ashes in an instant.

From midnight on the 9th until dawn the next day, the Gyeongbuk Fire Headquarters concentrated all available firefighting resources (36 fire trucks, 79 personnel) near the forest. They conducted a three-phase overnight defense operation, widely spraying 75 tons of water over the forest area as a preventive measure.

Fortunately, it was evaluated as a successful operation with not a single tree lost. The Fire Headquarters plans to devote all efforts to defending the Geumgang Pine Forest until the wildfire is completely extinguished.

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