[Feature] "Silent Disaster": Gapyeong's Forests Dying from Pine Wilt Disease

Number of Infected Trees Triples in Three Years... Pine Nut Production Plummets by Over 90%
Aerial Spraying Impossible in Water Source Areas... Farmers' Livelihoods at Risk
No National Control Measures Amid Nationwide Spread, Local Governments Struggle for Solutions

The forests of Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province are turning red. Pine and Korean pine forests, which should be lush and green, are now shifting to a reddish hue as they near death. The spread of pine wilt disease, often referred to as "Pine AIDS," has reached the Gapyeong area, bringing a serious crisis to the local forest ecosystem.

The pine nut forest near Daeseongri, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, has been infected with pine wilt disease, causing the trees to wither and die, turning red and coloring the entire forest in a reddish hue. Photo by Jonggu Lee

According to Gapyeong County on June 15, the county is the largest producer of pine nuts in the country, with Korean pine forests covering 20,000 hectares. However, as the damage from pine wilt disease continues to spread, pine nut production has plummeted, threatening the livelihoods of local farmers.

Number of infected trees triples in three years... Both forests and forest products hit hard

According to the Korea Forest Service, the number of pine trees infected with pine wilt disease surged from 310,000 in 2021 to 1.07 million in 2023, more than tripling in three years. In 2024, an additional 900,000 trees have been newly infected, and the spread continues.

Trees affected by pine wilt disease have their water supply cut off, causing their leaves to quickly wither, turn red, and ultimately die.

The damage is not limited to the forests. Production of major domestic forest products such as pine nuts and matsutake mushrooms has also suffered significant blows.

Pine nut production dropped by more than 90%, from about 9,600 tons in 2016 to just 800 tons in 2023. Matsutake mushroom yields have also fallen to just 20% of previous levels due to pests, diseases, and climate change.

A pine nut farmer in Gapyeong said, "With the Korean pine trees dying, harvesting is simply impossible. We cannot compete with imported pine nuts on price, so our livelihoods are in jeopardy."

Gapyeong County officials are removing damaged trees for the "Pine Wilt Disease Emergency Control Project." Provided by Gapyeong County

All-out control efforts face many limitations in Gapyeong... "Aerial spraying impossible in the area"

In an effort to contain the spread, Gapyeong County launched an emergency control campaign from February to April, investing about 2.9 billion won. The county removed 12,424 dead trees and administered preventative injections to 152.6 hectares of surrounding forest. A precision monitoring system using drones and aerial photography is also in operation.

However, Gapyeong is located in the upper reaches of the Namhan River, which serves as a water source protection zone for the Seoul metropolitan area, making aerial spraying virtually prohibited. In addition, opposition from beekeepers has imposed further restrictions on the use of chemical agents.

A Gapyeong County official stated, "Pine wilt disease is spreading widely, and simply removing infected trees one by one is not enough to respond. In addition to emergency control, we plan to pursue species conversion and long-term strategies to restore healthy forests."

Will species conversion be a fundamental solution? Experts say "region-specific strategies are needed"

The government and local authorities are promoting the conversion of forests to species more resistant to pine wilt disease, such as Japanese cypress, maple, and cherry trees. However, many point out that simple replacement alone cannot solve the complex issues of forest product production, ecosystem restoration, and sustaining the local economy.

A Korea Forest Service official emphasized, "To restore forest health, we need tailored strategies that consider both ecological characteristics and the local economy. Alongside short-term control measures, it is important to establish sustainable reforestation policies and long-term strategies."

The pine nut forest near Daeseongri, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province, has been infected with pine wilt disease, causing the trees to wither and die, turning red and coloring the entire forest in a reddish hue. Photo by Jonggu Lee

"The forest is dying"... Local governments helpless in the face of a silent disaster

Despite the increasingly severe damage caused by pine wilt disease, which threatens the very foundation of the forest ecosystem, there are many limitations to control efforts, and a fundamental solution remains elusive.

Gapyeong County currently assesses that pine wilt disease has entered the initial stage of mass infection, and plans to focus not only on emergency control but also on species conversion and expanding control infrastructure to restore healthy forests in the long term.

However, the warning sign delivered by the already reddened forests is anything but trivial. A more fundamental solution is urgently needed for this "silent disaster," which threatens not only the ecosystem but also the lives of local residents.