(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Joo-young = The "National Pine Wilt Disease Control Success Strategy Seminar" hosted by the National Assembly's Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Food and Marine Affairs Committee and organized by the Korea Forest Service was held at the National Assembly building on the 10th.
This seminar was organized to analyze the achievements and limitations of the pine wilt disease control policy and to discuss the direction of a public-private partnership national control strategy with participation from the public, central government, local governments, and experts.
The national control strategy includes strengthening the defense line at the national forefront (national first-line defense line) and important protected pine forests such as natural monuments and forest genetic resources protection areas, concentrating inspection and control capabilities to prevent the spread, providing forest management participation plans for landowners participating in species conversion expansion, and developing and nurturing disease-resistant pines for fundamental control.
Experts on forest pests and diseases, environmental groups, and forestry workers participated and shared opinions on the response strategy for pine wilt disease based on the theory of managing foreign pests and diseases, policy directions for utilizing damaged dead trees, and other related issues.
Kim In-ho, the head of the Korea Forest Service, said, "We will establish a national control strategy to effectively block the rapidly spreading pine wilt disease due to the impact of climate disasters and make all-out efforts to maintain the health of forests."