(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Joo-young = It has been pointed out that forest roads, which were established for fire suppression and timber transportation, are becoming a factor that makes landslides more likely.
According to data received by Rep. Eo Gi-gu (more commonly known as Eo Ki-gu), the chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Food, and Marine Affairs from the Ministry of Forestry, the total length of forest roads established nationwide by the Ministry of Forestry so far is 26,784 km.
The budget for forest roads increased from 176.5 billion won in 2021 to 384.8 billion won this year, a 2.18-fold increase, but it was found that the safety of the facilities was not sufficiently ensured despite the increased budget.
Among the 7,677 km of forest roads constructed in the past 10 years, 105 km of slope sections built by piling up soil did not have essential safety facilities such as retaining walls or stone embankments installed. Among the 1,370 km of slopes with a steepness of 35 degrees or more, 101 km (9.7%) were slopes carved out of the mountain, but they were not properly reinforced, indicating that additional stabilization measures are needed.
Rep. Eo pointed out that the poor construction and structural deficiencies of the forest roads are becoming factors that increase the risk of landslides.
According to an analysis by the National Park Corporation under the Ministry of Environment, it was confirmed that 1,447 (15%) of the 9,600 or so landslides that occurred nationwide in the past 10 years started from forest roads.
Rep. Eo emphasized, "Forest roads are essential infrastructure for fire suppression and forest management, but poor construction and neglect of management can lead to landslides, threatening the safety of the people," and stressed that "strengthening the design standards for ensuring safety and improving the post-maintenance system is urgently needed before expanding forest roads."