Im Sang-seop, Korea Forest Service Chief, "Creating Conditions for Everyone to Enjoy the Economic and Ecological Value of Forests"

"We will strive to create economically valuable forests enjoyed by all and ecologically healthy forests," said Lim Sang-seop, the Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, at his inauguration ceremony held on the 8th at the Government Complex Daejeon.

'Enjoyed by all' is another way of saying sustainable forests, emphasizing the need to create an environment where both the symbiotic natural ecosystem and humans can enjoy the value of forests.

Administrator Lim began by saying, "Korea is recognized as a country that has succeeded in dressing its once barren land in green within a short period," adding, "Intensive forest cultivation and systematic forest protection have also led to quantitative expansion of forest resources."

However, Lim noted, "We now face new challenges and demands," and said, "Responding to the climate crisis through forests, ensuring public safety and achieving carbon neutrality, and creating new growth engines through forest resources to address low growth and regional extinction issues are the representative challenges we face." He added, "The Korea Forest Service will improve the forest management structure to optimize the various functions of forests, including timber production and public value creation, to solve these challenges."

Administrator Lim emphasized that first and foremost, forestry workers should be able to utilize national forests on a large scale or create public value. His principle is that forest areas requiring economic use within the forest management structure should be used freely and creatively for timber and forest product production. He also stressed a 'selection and concentration' strategy to systematically protect forest areas with high conservation value, such as biodiversity, to maximize the public value of forests.

In this process, from an ecological perspective, it is important to maintain healthy forests with high carbon absorption capacity and resilience to forest disasters, and from an economic perspective, to increase the income of forestry workers and the timber industry, thereby creating a virtuous cycle effect that increases jobs for forest technicians and forest welfare specialists, according to Administrator Lim.

Based on this awareness, the ultimate goal is to preserve and utilize "valuable forests enjoyed by all, healthy forests" for forestry workers and the public, current and future generations, urban and mountain village residents, humans and living organisms alike.

The five practical measures to achieve this goal are ▲ protecting the lives and property of the public from forest disasters ▲ strengthening the role of forests in responding to climate change ▲ harmonious preservation and utilization of forest assets for a prosperous life and regional revitalization ▲ fostering forest technicians and forest welfare experts as the core of the forest sector's tertiary industry ▲ and promoting cooperation and development with the international community by leveraging Korea's advanced forest policies.

Administrator Lim said, "If all members share the vision as one team and create a 'Great Work Place' where they work well and are trusted, it will not be difficult to establish the Korea Forest Service as a 'greater ministry' that integrates and encompasses the entire forest sector." He added, "The Korea Forest Service will be fully prepared to take a leap forward to create 'valuable forests enjoyed by all, healthy forests'."

Meanwhile, Administrator Lim was inaugurated as the 35th Administrator of the Korea Forest Service on the same day. Lim is a forestry expert who entered the service through the 32nd Technical Examination and has served as Director of the Forest Industry Policy Bureau, Director of the Forest Protection Bureau, and Planning and Coordination Officer over 26 years. In August 2022, he was appointed Deputy Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, managing internal affairs. With Lim's internal promotion, the Korea Forest Service has had four consecutive internally promoted administrators since the 32nd, overseeing agency operations.

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