Strengthening Crackdown on Illegal Movement of Pine Trees to Block Spread of Pine Wilt Disease

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 13th that it will conduct a special crackdown on the illegal movement of pine trees until the 1st of next month.

The Forest Pest Monitoring and Control Team is conducting on-site inspections to prevent the illegal movement of pine species. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

The special crackdown is being promoted by the Korea Forest Service and local governments to block the illegal movement of pine trees targeting landscaping companies, sawmills, sawdust factories, and households using firewood distributed nationwide.

In particular, enforcement will be strengthened in areas affected by pine wilt disease and along major routes for the movement of pine trees and byproducts.

When moving pine trees and related materials, prior notification and approval must be obtained through the Government24 website or other channels in accordance with the "Special Act on the Control of Pine Wilt Disease."

Violators who move pine trees and byproducts without permission from restricted areas will face up to one year of imprisonment or a fine of up to 10 million won.

The Korea Forest Service emphasized that, in addition to the unauthorized movement of trees for pine wilt disease control, damaging or using fumigation piles can also contribute to worsening the damage caused by the disease.

Kim Incheon, Director of the Forest Pest Control Division at the Korea Forest Service, said, "We plan to establish special control measures and strengthen enforcement to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease," adding, "We ask for immediate reporting upon discovering dead or suspected infected trees and active participation in pine wilt disease prevention activities to protect healthy pine forests."

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