Hansujeong, Hyundai Motor, and Triple Planet Join Forces for Forest Ecological Restoration

The Korea National Arboretum Management Agency (hereinafter referred to as KNA) is entering into a strategic partnership with Hyundai Motor Company and Triple Planet to restore areas damaged by wildfires.

KNA announced on the 11th that it recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor Company and Triple Planet to mutually cooperate on forest ecological restoration.

Ioniq 5 and drone stations, which will be used for forest ecological restoration in wildfire-affected areas, are on display. Provided by Korea National Arboretum

The agreement includes collaboration among the three organizations to conduct forest ecological restoration projects on wildfire-damaged areas of over 15 hectares, aiming to conserve forest biodiversity, create restored forests, and cooperate on forest restoration research using the Ioniq drone station.

Under the agreement, KNA will be responsible for establishing forest ecological restoration plans, producing and supplying native plants for restoration, and conducting research on plant growth monitoring using drones.

The drones to be used are equipped with high-efficiency batteries capable of flying for 40 minutes per battery (compared to the average drone flight time of 25 minutes). When charged using the electric vehicle Ioniq 5, three batteries can be charged simultaneously, which is expected to maximize the effectiveness of the monitoring research.

(From left) Choi Dooha, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company’s Business Strategy Division, Ryu Kwangsoo, Chairman of the Korea Forest Service, and Kim Hyungsu, CEO of Triple Planet, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing an agreement. Provided by Korea Forest Service Management Corporation

Hyundai Motor Company will enhance the performance of the Ioniq 5 to make it suitable for forest restoration monitoring by integrating advanced technology and will support research by creating a drone station at the rear of the vehicle.

Triple Planet, leveraging its experience collaborating with Hyundai Motor Company, will assist KNA in maintaining restoration plants and restoration sites and plans to play a lubricating role in the large-scale wildfire damage restoration project.

Ryu Kwang-soo, Director of KNA, stated, “We plan to fully utilize Hyundai Motor’s electric vehicles and Triple Planet’s IT capabilities to consecutively conduct restoration, monitoring, and research of wildfire-damaged areas. We will focus our institutional capabilities to ensure this case becomes a successful model of forest restoration through private sector cooperation in the future.”