"Supplementing the Limitations of the Forest Protection Act" Korea Forest Service, Integrated Management of Three Major Forest Disasters

by Jeong Ilwoong

Published 22 Jan.2025 11:06(KST)

A legal basis has been established to enable integrated management of the ‘three major forest disasters’?wildfires, landslides, and pests and diseases. Based on this, the Korea Forest Service expects to respond more effectively to forest disasters in the future.

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 22nd that the ‘Forest Disaster Prevention Act’ was approved at a recent Cabinet meeting and will be promulgated on the 31st of this month. The full implementation will begin in February next year (one year after the promulgation date).

Im Sang-seop, Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service, is explaining the purpose of enacting the "Forest Disaster Prevention Act" and the future plans following the enforcement of the law at the Government Daejeon Complex on the 22nd. Photo by Korea Forest Service

Until now, forest disasters have been managed under the ‘Forest Protection Act.’ The Forest Protection Act includes provisions for wildfire and landslide prevention, integrated command for wildfire suppression, designation and management of landslide-prone areas, and monitoring and control orders for forest pests and diseases. However, there have been criticisms that there was no proper system to effectively prevent and respond to forest disasters, nor a legal basis for integrated management and operation of forest disasters.

In particular, the current Forest Protection Act covers not only forest disasters but also traditional forest protection and control systems such as designation and management of protected areas, designation and management of protected trees, and establishment of restricted entry zones, as well as new systems like tree diagnosis and tree doctors, resulting in a complex structure that limits effective response to forest disasters.

The Forest Disaster Prevention Act reorganizes the framework of the Forest Protection Act into a new law and adds previously omitted elements such as landslide and pest prevention, resident evacuation order systems, installation of forest disaster prevention infrastructure, research and investigation related to forest disasters, and international cooperation.

First, under the Forest Disaster Prevention Act, the Korea Forest Service will expand the scope of forest disaster management to include ‘areas adjacent to forests.’ This measure reflects the precedent during the recent Gangneung wildfire, where about 200 houses in areas adjacent to forests were damaged, and most casualties from landslides also occurred in areas adjacent to forests.

Accordingly, the scope of forest disaster management will be extended not only to forests but also to adjacent areas, and safety management will be strengthened by conducting prior reviews of forest disaster risks when construction or other activities are carried out on adjoining land.

Another notable point in the Forest Disaster Prevention Act is that the Korea Forest Service Director-General will be authorized to request resident evacuation orders in the event of a forest disaster.

Previously, mayors, county governors, district heads, and fire chiefs could issue resident evacuation orders. However, from the time the Forest Disaster Prevention Act is enforced, the Korea Forest Service Director-General will be granted the authority to request resident evacuation, enabling quicker evacuation of residents when warning signs of forest disasters such as landslide forecasts or wildfire occurrences are detected.

The Korea Forest Service is also promoting the establishment of the ‘Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Corporation’ based on the Forest Disaster Prevention Act. This is to improve operational efficiency and expertise by integrating the ‘Korea Wildfire Prevention Technology Association,’ ‘Korea Erosion Control Technology Association,’ and ‘Forest Pest Monitoring Center,’ which were previously operated separately according to forest disaster types, and reallocating human and managerial resources.

Once established, the Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Corporation will undertake roles such as research and investigation for forest disaster prevention, education and training, international exchange of technology and information, and public administration support in field response.

Lim Sang-seop, Director-General of the Korea Forest Service, said, “The enactment of the Forest Disaster Prevention Act has laid the foundation for integrated and efficient response to forest disasters. The Korea Forest Service will do its utmost to strengthen the protection of the lives and property of the public by thoroughly preparing for enforcement, including the establishment of subordinate statutes, before the Act takes effect.”