Pohang City Holds Demonstration of High-Performance Forestry Machinery to Build Economic Forestry Infrastructure

Exploring the Utilization of Damaged Trees as Resources
and Promoting the Use of High-Performance Forestry Machinery

Pohang City held a live demonstration of timber harvesting using high-performance forestry machinery on June 7 in Ipam-ri, Donghae-myeon, Nam-gu, an area designated for tree species replacement due to damage from pine wilt disease.

Pohang City held a demonstration of timber harvesting using high-performance forestry machinery on the 7th at Ipam-ri, Donghae-myeon, Nam-gu, a site for tree species conversion due to pine wilt disease damage. Photo by Pohang City

Over 100 people attended the demonstration, including Lim Sangseop, Chief of the Korea Forest Service; Jang Sanggil, Deputy Mayor of Pohang; Shin Kangsoo, Head of Pohang Green City Project Group; Cho Hyunae, Director of Forest Resources at Gyeongbuk Province; officials from local forest-related departments; and members of the Korea Log Production Association.

With the recent nationwide surge in pine wilt disease and wildfire-damaged trees, the need to utilize damaged trees as resources and to reconsider the use of domestic timber has become more apparent. This demonstration was organized to enhance the utilization of damaged trees as forest resources and to promote the use of high-performance domestic forestry machinery.

The demonstration featured the use of vehicle-mounted high-performance forestry machinery, a whole-tree harvesting system, and on-site demonstrations and experiences with excavator-based forestry equipment.

High-performance forestry machinery includes harvesters, forwarders, feller bunchers, and processors, all of which can perform multiple tree harvesting operations in a single process. The distribution of such machinery is increasingly necessary to improve productivity and ensure worker safety, especially as the forestry workforce ages.

Lim Sangseop, Chief of the Korea Forest Service, emphasized, "We will work closely with related organizations to promote the utilization of damaged trees as resources, and I urge everyone to pay close attention to thorough monitoring and control to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease."

Jang Sanggil, Deputy Mayor of Pohang, stated, "This event provided an opportunity to explore various control methods to respond to the increasing spread of pine wilt disease due to climate change," and added, "We will do our utmost to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease in Pohang."