On May 7, the Korea Forest Welfare Institute announced that it had achieved first place overall among statutory lottery fund allocation agencies, receiving an "Excellent" (the highest grade) rating in the "2024 Lottery Fund Project Performance Evaluation" organized by the Lottery Commission of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The lottery fund project performance evaluation is conducted annually for allocation and distribution projects and public interest projects that receive lottery funds. The evaluation results are divided into three grades: "Excellent," "Average," and "Insufficient."
Citizens visiting the National Yangpyeong Healing Forest are experiencing the forest healing program. Provided by Korea Forest Welfare Institute
The Korea Forest Welfare Institute carries out two statutory allocation projects using the lottery fund's Green Fund: the "Green Infrastructure Expansion Project," which aims to improve access to green spaces for vulnerable groups, and the "Forest Experience and Education Support Project," which supports experiential activities in forests.
The lottery fund's Green Fund is operated by the Korea Forest Service using profits from lottery sales, in accordance with the "Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources," to protect the forest environment and enhance the functions of forests. The Korea Forest Welfare Institute has been entrusted by the Korea Forest Service to manage this fund and implement related projects.
In the evaluation, the Korea Forest Welfare Institute received an "Excellent" grade for both projects, ranking first overall among the ten statutory allocation project agencies for five consecutive years.
In particular, the institute received high marks in several areas: creating forest environments and providing programs for vulnerable groups (such as people with disabilities, young children, and the elderly); operating projects based on public-private cooperation; and gathering public opinions and generating project outcomes through diverse promotional and communication channels.
Since 2016, the Korea Forest Welfare Institute has created outdoor sharing forests at 326 locations nationwide through the Green Infrastructure Expansion Project, and has established and installed barrier-free sharing trails for people with disabilities and those with limited mobility at 144 locations (totaling 152 kilometers) across the country.
Additionally, through the Forest Experience and Education Project, the institute has provided forest welfare services to 3.14 million vulnerable individuals, earning recognition for contributing to the happiness and health of the public through forests.
Nam Taeheon, President of the Korea Forest Welfare Institute, stated, "We will continue to identify and implement projects that align with the purpose of the lottery fund so that more people can benefit from forests," adding, "Above all, we will do our best to provide forest welfare policies and services that people can truly feel, through communication with the public."
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