Hanwha Group Establishes 12th "Forest of the Sun" in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province

8,500 Saplings Planted on 30,000 Square Meters of Wildfire-Affected Land

Hanwha Group announced on April 22 that it has established its 12th "Forest of the Sun" in the wildfire-affected area of Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province.

The Forest of the Sun campaign is a forest creation initiative launched by Hanwha Group in 2011. To date, the company has created forests covering 1.5 million square meters, equivalent to the size of 210 soccer fields, with a cumulative total of approximately 550,000 trees planted. The 12th Forest of the Sun has been named "Green Again: Uljin."

The scene of officials and children planting trees to create the Forest of the Sun. Photo by Hanwha

On April 21, Hanwha Group, together with Uljin County and the social enterprise Tree Planet, planted a total of 8,500 saplings in a 30,000-square-meter area damaged by wildfire. The saplings, including Aphananthe aspera, Tilia, and Paulownia, are tree species known for their strong resistance and adaptability to wildfires. It is expected that these trees will absorb more than 90 tons of carbon dioxide annually. In March 2022, a major wildfire on the east coast destroyed 1,414 hectares of forest in Uljin, accounting for 17% of the county's total forest area.

A Hanwha Group official stated, "Climate change is a crisis that will wait no longer," adding, "The Forest of the Sun goes beyond simply planting trees; it is an initiative to find practical solutions together with future generations."

Meanwhile, in March, Hanwha Group donated 1 billion won to the National Disaster Relief Association to support recovery efforts and assist victims of large-scale wildfires in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province; Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province; and Ulju, Ulsan.