Kim Moonsu Proposes Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Forestry and Mountain Village Development

Legal Basis Established for Fostering and Supporting Young Foresters

Moonsoo Kim, Member of the National Assembly.

Kim Moonsu, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea representing Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, and Gurye-gap in South Jeolla Province, proposed the "Amendment to the Act on Promotion of Forestry and Mountain Village Development" on the 10th to establish a legal basis for fostering and supporting prospective foresters and young foresters.

The current law provides grounds for supporting the development of forestry successors and independent foresters, but lacks explicit regulations for prospective foresters and young foresters, resulting in insufficient systematic policy and financial support.

To address this, Kim proposed an amendment focused on establishing a legal foundation and expanding institutional support. The amendment mainly includes defining prospective foresters and young foresters, expanding the forestry successor system, and introducing youth-priority policies to revitalize the forestry sector.

First, the amendment newly defines prospective foresters and young foresters to clarify the scope of support recipients. A prospective forester is defined as a person intending to engage in forestry who meets the requirements set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. A young forester is defined as a young person who is engaged in, or intends to start a business or find employment in, the forestry sector, and who meets the age and residency criteria established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The amendment also expands the system to include prospective and young foresters, and strengthens the selection process and support system.

Support for young foresters is expected to inject new vitality into the forestry sector, which has stagnated due to aging demographics.

Kim emphasized, "Forestry is not just about managing forest resources, but is a key sector for sustainable environmental management and revitalization of mountain village economies," adding, "This amendment will expand youth participation in forestry, create new jobs in mountain villages, and contribute to regional development."