Gokseong County and Suncheon National Forest Management Office Join Forces to Prevent the Spread of Pine Wilt Disease

Designation of Joint Control Area in Jukgok-myeon:
Gochi-ri and Hahan-ri to Be Managed Together

Gokseong County signed a business agreement with Suncheon National Forest Management Office on the 14th to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease. Photo by Gokseong County

Gokseong County (Governor Cho Sangrae) signed a business agreement on the 14th with the Suncheon National Forest Management Office (Director Shin Hacheol) to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease.

This agreement was established to build a wide-area control cooperation system that goes beyond administrative boundaries, following a series of pine wilt disease outbreaks in areas adjacent to Suncheon City.

Pine wilt disease is a deadly forest pest that can kill infected trees within several months. It spreads rapidly through vector insects such as the pine sawyer beetle and the Japanese pine sawyer beetle. Because it spreads quickly to nearby areas, early monitoring and prompt control are essential. Therefore, a wide-area response in cooperation with neighboring regions is a key strategy for effective disease management.

Under the agreement, the two organizations designated 1,788 hectares in the Jukgok-myeon district (Gochi-ri and Hahan-ri) as a joint control area, and will conduct integrated monitoring and control regardless of whether the forest is state-owned or private. They will also share real-time information on the locations and occurrences of infected or suspected trees, and provide mutual support in terms of control technology, equipment, personnel, and databases.

The division of roles has also been clearly defined. Gokseong County will be responsible for obtaining landowner consent for control in private forests, handling civil complaints, and providing on-site support. The Suncheon National Forest Management Office will oversee monitoring and control within the joint control area and provide the necessary resources and technology. Both organizations will regularly review the effectiveness of their control measures and flexibly adjust their response plans according to the spread of the disease.

An official from the county stated, "This agreement is significant in that it eliminates blind spots in disease control and proactively blocks the spread of damage through inter-agency cooperation," adding, "We will do our utmost to preserve a healthy forest ecosystem."

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