Korea Forest Service "Focused Pest Control in Pine Wilt Disease Affected Areas of Pohang and Gyeongju"

Additional manpower for pine wilt disease control will be deployed in the Pohang and Gyeongju areas.

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 16th that it will deploy more than 350 national control personnel (52 units of the National Forest Ranger Corps) to the Pohang and Gyeongju areas, which have been severely affected by pine wilt disease, to prevent its spread.

Personnel deployed on site are conducting work to handle pine trees infected with pine wilt disease. Provided by the Korea Forest Service

The Pohang and Gyeongju areas have recently experienced an increase in pine wilt disease cases, resulting in a shortage of control personnel. In response, the Korea Forest Service explained that it will focus on controlling the disease (preventing its spread) by supplementing manpower and deploying forestry equipment from five regional forest services and the relevant national forest management offices to the field.

Previously, since September last year, the Korea Forest Service has held seven nationwide pine wilt disease control strategy meetings with 16 metropolitan cities and provinces to strengthen cooperation through strategic advice, budget support, and institutional improvements.

The areas currently designated as special pine wilt disease control zones include seven cities and counties: Gyeongju, Pohang, Andong, Goryeong, Seongju in North Gyeongsang Province, Dalseong in Daegu, and Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province.

The Korea Forest Service plans to enhance control effectiveness by supporting joint control efforts regardless of whether the forests are national or private through a strategy of selection and concentration.

Im Sang-seop, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, said, “We will increase the effectiveness of emergency pine wilt disease control by deploying additional National Forest Ranger Corps personnel, who are the main force of national control manpower, to the affected areas.” He added, “During the intensive control period, the Korea Forest Service will make every effort to remove all infected trees.”

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