[What's New in the New Year] Integration and Operation of 'Forest Disaster Response Unit'... Introduction of New Smart Forestry Farms

Starting next year, a new Forest Disaster Response Team will be established and operated. The aim is to strengthen response capabilities by integrating functions that were previously dispersed into a single channel. In addition, the introduction of new smart forestry farms is intended to attract more young people to mountain villages.

Provided by the Korea Forest Service

On December 31, the Korea Forest Service announced these changes in its "New Year’s Changes in Forest Policy." The updated forest policies focus on protecting the lives and property of citizens from forest disasters, encouraging population inflow into mountain villages, and increasing forest owners’ income to help overcome the risk of regional extinction.

First, in order to respond quickly and systematically to increasingly frequent and large-scale forest disasters throughout the year, the Korea Forest Service will integrate the previously separate forest fire prevention and suppression teams, special forest fire disaster suppression teams, landslide field prevention teams, and forest pest and disease monitoring teams into a single "Forest Disaster Response Team."

To prevent forest disasters in advance, a new system will be introduced to review construction activities in areas adjacent to forests, allowing for the identification of potential forest disaster risks. In addition, arbitrary felling of trees at risk of forest fires will be permitted within 25 meters of the outer boundary of buildings adjacent to forests. This measure takes into account recent cases where large-scale forest fires caused greater damage to buildings located near forests.

Next year, policies to address regional extinction will also be strengthened. The Korea Forest Service explained that it will allow the establishment of stay-type shelters in mountain villages to promote urban residents’ experiences and encourage migration to these areas. In addition, new smart forestry farms will be introduced to attract young people to the forestry sector and improve productivity.

Furthermore, in order to facilitate business operations, the Korea Forest Service will support the rationalization of mountain area regulations. For example, when converting mountain areas for the purpose of establishing national high-tech strategic industries, the standard for timber volume (the amount of trees) will be excluded from the criteria applied to such projects.

Kim Inho, Commissioner of the Korea Forest Service, stated, "The new forest policies for the coming year have been determined to prioritize public safety and improve systems to meet field and societal changes," adding, "The Korea Forest Service will continue to actively develop and promote forest policies that the public can truly feel."