"Like Rice, Wood Should Also Be Harvested... Enhancing Forest Resource Circulation and Efficiency"

"Just as we produce rice in paddy fields, I hope the process of planting trees in forests and harvesting timber (logging) becomes somewhat familiar to us."

Nam Seong-hyun, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, said this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 28th. Nam stated, "Every year, we plant rice in paddy fields and obtain rice, our staple food, through the harvesting process," adding, "Timber harvesting should also be understood as part of forest management, and a virtuous cycle structure where necessary resources are obtained from forest sites and replenished must be established."

South Korea succeeded in dressing its once-barren forests in green through reforestation efforts in the 1970s and 1980s. While planting and nurturing trees, the growing stock volume also increased. The growing stock volume per 1 hectare of forest saw remarkable growth, from 22㎡ in the 1980s to 63㎡ in 2000, and 126㎡ in 2010. In 2022, the growing stock volume increased to 172㎡, far surpassing the OECD average of 128㎡.

Growing stock volume refers to the total volume of trees growing within a certain area. As the growing stock volume increases, the amount of timber that can be obtained from the trees also increases. This means that beyond simply dressing the mountains in green, there is now the capacity to utilize trees as a resource.

Nam said, "It is a well-known fact recognized by the international community that South Korea, devastated by the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, rapidly restored and grew its forests through reforestation projects," and added, "Currently, through forest management, we can enjoy the economic, social, and environmental richness that forests provide."

He also emphasized the need to move away from the past paradigm (a one-way perception of nature protection) and establish a virtuous cycle structure of 'afforestation → forest tending → timber harvesting (logging) → afforestation.' Forests should not be defined and managed solely as objects of protection but rather as part of a process that seeks harmony between protection and utilization.

Nam stressed, "The consistent forest policy pursued by the Korea Forest Service is to protect forests that need protection while separately managing and operating forests that can be utilized as resources." He explained, "It is essential to fully protect forests with ecological value while harvesting forests and trees used as resources at the appropriate time, allowing new trees to fill the emptied spaces again. This process is the foundation of forest management and an appropriate response to climate change."

However, public perception of timber harvesting remains negative, and resolving this is a challenge for the Korea Forest Service. Nam said, "There is a vague resistance to cutting down trees or a strong nature protection awareness that has continued since the reforestation period, which adds a negative image to timber harvesting," but added, "Since the past and present situations have changed, the Korea Forest Service's position is that public perception must be improved to enhance the utility of forests as resources."

The negative image of timber harvesting also leads to a low self-sufficiency rate of domestic timber. As of 2022, the annual domestic timber consumption was 29.68 million ㎡, with a domestic timber self-sufficiency rate of only 15%. Although the use of timber as an eco-friendly material is gradually increasing in daily life, the domestic timber self-sufficiency rate does not support this trend. Therefore, most of the timber not supplied domestically must be imported. The Korea Forest Service reported that last year, $4.4 billion (approximately 7 trillion KRW) was spent on importing timber from overseas.

Nam said, "To dispel public concerns about timber harvesting, the Korea Forest Service has institutionalized mandatory afforestation within three years after timber harvesting (specified in the Forest Protection Act) and is establishing a foundation (such as fostering economic forests) to intensively produce timber within designated areas," adding, "Above all, rather than vague resistance and opposition, it is important to reach a social consensus that can harmonize forest protection and utilization."

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