Pohang City Opens New Future for Wood Industry... Emerging as a Hub for Forest Product Distribution

Groundbreaking Ceremony for Gyeongsang Region Forest Products Logistics Terminal, First Step as a Hub for Forest Products Distribution

On the 16th, Pohang City held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the ‘Gyeongsang Region Forest Products Logistics Terminal Construction Project’ next to the Pohang City Forestry Cooperative Forest Village for the Gyeongsang Region Forest Products Logistics Terminal, Gyeongsang Region Wood Resource Center, Forest Products Processing Center, and the new Pohang City Forestry Cooperative office building.

On the 16th, Pohang City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Gyeongsang Regional Forest Products Logistics Terminal, Gyeongsang Regional Wood Recycling Center, Forest Products Processing Center, and the new Pohang City Forestry Cooperative building. Photo by Pohang City

About 500 citizens attended the ceremony, including Mayor Lee Kang-deok, City Council Chairman Kim Il-man, Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Culture and Environment Committee Chairman Lee Dong-eop, Forestry Cooperative Chairman Son Byung-woong, forestry cooperative heads from across Gyeongbuk Province, provincial and city council members, and representatives of forestry organizations.

The event proceeded with congratulatory performances, progress reports on the construction, and commemorative performances, and also operated a wildfire prevention booth to raise awareness about wildfire safety.

Gyeongsang Region Forest Products Logistics Terminal. Provided by Pohang City

The Gyeongsang Region Forest Products Logistics Terminal was selected in April 2022 for the “Regional Distribution Infrastructure Establishment Project,” a public contest project by the Korea Forest Service, to promote the development and leap of the local forestry industry, which has been facing difficulties in production capacity and distribution of forest products due to population decline and aging. After going through administrative procedures such as basic planning and permits, the groundbreaking finally took place on the 16th.

Once completed, the logistics terminal will introduce the latest facilities such as the ‘AI-based Forest Products Automation System’ being developed by the Korea Institute of Robot Convergence (Artificial Intelligence Robot Research Headquarters), sterilization and disinfection facilities for raspberries, and pine mushroom sorting, leading core technologies in the forestry sector and establishing infrastructure for the distribution of clean forest products.

Additionally, the Gyeongsang Region Wood Resource Center, being constructed in Naedan-ri, Gijae-myeon, Buk-gu, will systematically operate the entire process from production, processing, storage, to distribution of wood by introducing advanced automation equipment and eco-friendly technologies.

This center plans to build natural drying facilities, automatic sawing facilities, wood pellet manufacturing facilities, and composite material (CXP) production equipment, aspiring to become a hub for the wood industry that reliably supplies high-quality domestic wood.

Furthermore, the Forest Products Processing Center is expected to open new horizons for processing and selling forest products by enhancing storage capabilities to overcome the short shelf life of forest products compared to agricultural products, including raspberry puree, pine mushroom slices, and packaged wild vegetables.

Along with this, the Pohang City Forestry Cooperative has decided to build a new office building with one basement floor and four above-ground floors to expand professional technical education, cultural lectures, and communication spaces for forestry workers, and construction began on this day.

Son Byung-woong, Chairman of the Pohang City Forestry Cooperative, said, “I am both pleased and feel a heavy responsibility that the Gyeongsang Region forest products distribution infrastructure is being established centered on Pohang. We will do our best to enhance the rights and interests of cooperative members and forestry workers and to advance forestry technology.”

Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “With the groundbreaking today for the Gyeongsang Region Forest Products Logistics Terminal, Gyeongsang Region Wood Resource Center, Forest Products Processing Center, and the new Pohang City Forestry Cooperative office building, Pohang will become the center of clean forest products distribution. We will spare no support to ensure increased income for forestry workers and the development of the local economy.”

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