Korea Forest Service Selects ‘100 Best Premium Forests’ Including Pine Forests of Anmyeondo

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 4th that it has selected the ‘Top 100 Premium Forests,’ including the Pine Forest of Anmyeondo, to commemorate the ‘50th Anniversary of National Greening’ this year.

Previously, from 2017 to last year, the Korea Forest Service discovered and announced 50 premium national forests, such as the Birch Forest in Inje. This year, an additional 50 premium forests managed by individuals, corporations, and local governments were identified, completing the list of the ‘Top 100 Premium Forests.’

Inje Birch Forest is densely populated with birch trees that tower well above adult height. Photo by Korea Forest Service

The premium forests were selected by categorizing them into three areas: forests with excellent forest management performance, forests suitable for public recreation, and forests with high conservation value.

The newly selected premium forests include the ‘Seungeon-ri Pine Forest of Anmyeondo’ in Taean, Chungnam, which has been maintained as a protected forest from the Goryeo Dynasty to the present and is under special management; the ‘Sohori Oak Forest’ in Ulju, Ulsan, created through cooperation between the German and Korean governments; the ‘Mudeungsan Cypress Forest’ in Hwasun, Jeonnam; and the ‘Indeungsan Forest of Talent’ in Chungju, Chungbuk.

The Korea Forest Service plans to widely promote the premium forests to the public by producing booklets, video content, and information boards related to the ‘Top 100 Premium Forests.’

Nam Sung-hyun, Administrator of the Korea Forest Service, said, “The Korea Forest Service will raise public awareness of the importance of forests and foster forests as tourism resources to contribute to revitalizing the local economy and increasing the income of forestry workers.”