Uljin-gun, Full-Scale Response to Recurrence of Pine Wilt Disease

Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, has launched an all-out response after the pine wilt disease reoccurred in the forest of Geumeum-ri, Hupo-myeon.

The outbreak site is at San 217, Geumeum-ri, Hupo-myeon, Uljin-gun (private forest). On October 10, 2024, during surveillance activities by the Uljin-gun Forest Pest Monitoring and Control Team, dead pine trees were discovered. After requesting inspection from the Gyeongbuk Forest Environment Research Institute and the National Institute of Forest Science, it was confirmed that two pine trees were infected with pine wilt disease. In December 2024, an additional two trees were confirmed infected at San 227, Geumeum-ri, Hupo-myeon (private forest), bringing the total number of infected trees to four.

Accordingly, Uljin-gun held an emergency control measures meeting with related organizations including the Korea Forest Service, National Institute of Forest Science, Gyeongbuk Province, Korea Forestry Promotion Institute, and neighboring local governments to discuss control strategies and identify the cause of the pine wilt disease outbreak. They secured project funds to prevent further spread and plan to complete the emergency control project by February 2025.

The main project contents include removal of infected trees (4 trees), combined pesticide tree injections (2.23 hectares), and preventive tree injections (463 hectares). A customized strategy centered on the infected trees will be established and implemented to prevent further spread.

Pine wilt disease is caused by pine wood nematodes that invade pine trees when adult pine sawyer beetles attack. Infected pine trees die 100%. In Uljin-gun, the first infection was detected in December 2020 in Deokin-ri, Onjeong-myeon, but the area has recently been restored to a clean zone.

County Governor Son Byeong-bok said, “Thorough early surveillance is most important at new outbreak sites of pine wilt disease,” and added, “We will do our best to prevent further spread and protect Uljin Geumgang Pine through rapid control and strategic planning.”

Uljin County Office.

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