Korea Forest Service Begins Supplying Gorosoe Sap to Mountain Villages... "Annual Income Nationwide 13.2 Billion KRW"

From this month, the free distribution of Gorosoe sap in mountain villages will officially begin.

The Korea Forest Service announced on the 28th that starting from June 18th in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, free distribution of Gorosoe sap collection will be carried out sequentially in late this month in Muju, Jeollabuk-do, in early next month in Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk regions, and after mid-next month in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon regions.

Local residents participating in the Seondo Forest Management Complex operation are collecting gorosoe sap in the Garisan area of Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do. Provided by Hongcheon National Forest Management Office

The free distribution is based on the "Free Distribution System of National Forest Forest Products." This system allows village residents who have signed a national forest protection agreement and have faithfully fulfilled their obligations to protect national forests, such as wildfire prevention and forest pest monitoring, to collect forest products produced in national forests, including pine mushrooms, pine nuts, sap, and wild vegetables.

The income earned from collecting forest products is distributed 90% to the village residents, with the remaining 10% going to the national treasury, thus becoming a source of income for the village residents.

For example, according to the 2023 Forest Product Production Survey, the annual income generated from collecting Gorosoe sap was estimated to reach a total of 13.2 billion KRW.

The Korea Forest Service plans to diversify income sources (forest products eligible for collection) to strengthen forest protection activities within national forests through the participation of mountain village residents while helping them generate stable income.

Park Seung-gyu, Director of National Forest Management at the Korea Forest Service, said, “The Free Distribution System of National Forest Forest Products aims to efficiently protect and manage national forests and provide economic benefits to mountain villages. The Korea Forest Service will continue to establish a rational and efficient national forest management system that contributes to the sustainable development of local communities.”