[Editorial] "Is Expansion Enough?" Korea Forest Service Loses Face Over Forest Road Management

The Korea Forest Service has damaged its reputation due to poor management of forest roads.

Recently, the Board of Audit and Inspection pointed out in its report on "Management and Supervision of Forest Projects" that, after inspecting 135 out of the 1,531 forest roads constructed nationwide between 2021 and 2023, it found that 103 roads (76% of those inspected) lacked legally required structures. The Korea Forest Service has been focused on increasing the number of forest roads, while neglecting to prevent poor construction quality.

This complacency is especially deserving of criticism, considering that the Korea Forest Service has repeatedly emphasized the necessity of forest roads, citing the increasing frequency of wildfire disasters.

Forest roads are a type of road built to allow vehicles to access forest areas. Whenever large-scale wildfires occur, the issue of forest roads inevitably becomes a hot topic.

The call to expand forest roads mainly comes from the Korea Forest Service and wildfire experts. They stress that forest roads are essential for quickly deploying firefighting personnel and equipment to wildfire sites to improve wildfire response capabilities. They also point to the fact that countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan have already expanded or are seeking to expand their own forest road networks.

On the other hand, environmental groups and civic organizations strongly oppose the expansion of forest roads. Their main arguments are that building roads in forests inherently damages nature, and that forest roads can trigger natural disasters such as landslides.

Both sides have their own justifications and persuasive arguments. However, given the recent trend of wildfires becoming more frequent and larger throughout the year, expanding forest roads may be an unavoidable choice. This is why more voices are emphasizing the need not to lose sight of practical benefits amid the battle of principles.

One wildfire expert advised, "If we insist on preserving the forest in its original state in the name of protection, we could end up losing even more forest to wildfires. It is important to find a balance between protecting forests and utilizing them, such as through the expansion of forest roads."

Last month, the Korea Forest Service announced a plan to increase forest roads by 500 kilometers each year until 2030. Despite opposition, this move signals a determination to prioritize the practical benefits of forest road construction and push ahead with expansion.

In this context, the Korea Forest Service must take the Board of Audit and Inspection's criticism of its poor management of forest roads to heart. In a situation where debate over forest roads continues, exposing a serious flaw of "expansion without proper management" cannot be excused under any circumstances.

If expanding forest roads is an unavoidable choice for strengthening wildfire response capabilities, and if the Korea Forest Service is determined to continue expansion despite opposition, it must not become fixated on quantitative growth alone. Instead, it should focus all its efforts on maximizing the functionality of forest roads.

Poorly managed forest roads will, as environmental groups claim, only increase the risk of natural disasters. This is why the Korea Forest Service must take its responsibility seriously and ensure thorough management of forest roads.