In Korea, the most important forest policy up to now is reforestation. It has been necessary and urgent for Korea to accomplish the reforestation and erosion control as soon as possible in order to increase protection from the loss of farmland, droughts, floods, etc.. As a result, international organizations like FAO, WRI consider Korea as an outstanding example of a successfully reforested country in the world. However the reforestation in Korea should be more evaluated than any other countries from the point of view of intentional reforestation of devastated mountains, not for industrial timber production.
The current objectives of Korean forest policy can be summarized as follows: first, harmonious forest land management between conservation and development, second, fostering competitive forestry by improving the management and structure, and finally establishment of land environment to improve living conditions and to preserve beautiful landscapes. In future, Forestry Administration will focus on the following main targets:
First, improvement of reasonable forest land use system. As a result of rapid economic development, the demand of forest land for other uses has accelerated. Therefore it is important to meet various demands for forest land use resulting from socio-economic progress, and to reserve forestry production area as a timber supply base, and to manage forest lands based on harmonizing balance between conservation and development in the programme for complex land development in a small country.
Second, acceleration of establishment of new forest resources, and protection and fostering of existing forest resources. Establishment of commercial forests is emphasized at Forestry Promotion Development Areas. The share of the proportion of man-made forests in the total forests is planned to rise from 31% in 1992 to 47% in 2030 and self-sufficiency ratio of log from 13% in 1993 to 46% in 2030. In addition, it is intended to emphasize protection activities against forest fire, disease and insect pests, and the diversion of forest for other industrial uses.
Third, enlargement of forest management infrastructure and improvement of forest management structure. Forest roads are necessary for the basic forest management facilities for reforestation, tending, control of forest fire, diseases and insects, and the transportation of various forest products as well as the improvement for local transportation and development of recreational resources. The Korean government has planned to construct more forest road, which were 7,114 km (1.10m/ha) at the end of 1994 to 56,000 km (8.6m/ha) in 2010. The mechanization of forest works has been accelerated to increase productivity and to reduce management costs.
The enlargement of national forest has been accelerated to secure the greater timber supply and to promote public benefits of the forests, and the share of national forest lands is scheduled to expand to 2,063 thousand ha, 33% of the lands in 2040. Forest cooperatives, which intend to expand forest management units to as much as 3,000 ha through mutual cooperation among small-scale private forest owners, are encouraged. Forest development funds need to be increased to encourage forest owner's investment motivation.
Fourth, enhancement of environmental forestry for promoting public benefits of the forests. The government is enlarging natural recreation forests, forest camps and arboreta for utilizing forest resources as resting places.
Fifth, enlargement of overseas forest development and improvement of forestry industry. To respond to the environment conservation and log-export bans in timber export countries, the government is also trying to shift its strategy of timber import from purchase imports to "development import" by expanding overseas reforestation projects from which timber supplies can then be imported. Also it is scheduled to promote the restructuring of the timber industry to better adapt to economic change in domestic and overseas markets. Marketing channels such as timber storage and processing factories for forest products are planned to increase from 29 places in 1992 to 120 places in 2001 to increase forest owner's income and to stabilize the price of forest products.
Sixth, development and extension of forestry techniques. Forest research is being conducted in various fields such as development of new high quality species applying advanced technology and improvement of local tree species, high utilization and development of new uses for forest products, technology of forest disease and insects control, conservation of forest environment and improvement of public benefits of the forests. At the same time, extension of forestry techniques are emphasized to sincere forest managers, forestry successors and large-scaled forest owners.
Up to now the most important forest policy in Korea is the reforestation up to now. It was necessary and urgent for Korea to accomplish the reforestation and erosion control and increase the forest stock as soon as possible. And it has been evaluated as a successful policy in the world as indicated earlier. The current objective of Korean forest policy is to increase the efficiency of sustainable forest management.
After UNCED, there have been a lot of meetings to find out the standard operating procedure (SOP) of sustainable forest management (SFM). Thus international efforts such as Helsinki process and Montreal process have been initiated to determine criteria and indicators for measuring sustainable forest management. Korea also participated in the international meetings to contribute its own experience in world-wide sustainable forest management, and try to adapt the SFM's SOP to management of the forests in Korea. Korea is a member of the Montreal Process, the member countries of which have 90 percent of the world's temperate and boreal forests.
In February 1995, the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the conservation and Sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests (Montreal Process) agreed criteria and indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests. This is called Santiago declaration, which agreed upon 7 indicators for the conservation and sustainable forest management for use by their respective policy makers.
Criterion 1. Conservation of biological diversity
Criterion 2. Maintenance of productive capacity of forest ecosystems
Criterion 3. Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitability
Criterion 4. Conservation and maintenance of soil and water resources
Criterion 5. Maintenance of forest contribution to global carbon cycles
Criterion 6. Maintenance and enhancement of long-term multiple socio-economic benefits to meet the needs of societies
Criterion 7. Legal, institutional and economic framework for forest conservation and sustainable management.
The indicators for these criteria emphasize the economic and social aspects for sustainable forest management. The indicator for the Criterion 6 include production and consumption, recreation and tourism, investment into the forest sector, cultural, social and spiritual needs and values, employment and community needs. Especially Criterion 7 is strongly related to the overall policy framework of a country that can facilitate the conservation and sustainable management of forest.
Korea faces several problems in implementing the forest policy under the circumstance of emphasizing the sustainable forest management: first, the absolutely insufficient forest resources for Korea's present and future generations; second, the unbalanced forest ownership in public and private forest land, which might hinder efficient forest land use; third, the evasion of participation of private forest owners due to insufficient investment environment such as the low profit, long-term period of investment; fourth, the overlapping regulation of forest land management because of the strong demand for multiple uses by several parties.
In other words, one of biggest problems for forest sustainable management in Korea is the forest owner's limited interest in forest management because of small scale. Therefore the optimization of forest management unit is essential for the sustainable forest management, especially in private forests. Therefore, the activities of Forestry Cooperatives, which intend to expand forest management units to as much as 3,000 ha through mutual cooperation among small-scaled private forest owners, will be heavily encouraged for the small scale forest to be managed sustainably.
Generally, developed countries have abundant forest resources, which are maintained very carefully from the past. However, it is impossible to obtain beautiful forest on money alone in a short period; it needs time and the endless willingness and effort of people to maintain the sustainable forests in good condition.
In Korea, forestry activities have traditionally been accomplished by the government, private sector and Forestry Associations. Forestry Associations in Korea are based on the rural people's self-regulated organization from the 15th century, named "Sanrimgae" for forest protection. The Sanrimgae have been reorganized into modern form for the 20th century. The modernized Forestry Association's main purposes are supervision of forestry related business affairs including execution by proxy of government forest projects, establishment of the foundation for self-supporting operation, systematic organization and structure adjustment.
However because of the Forestry Associations two purposes for establishment, the two development way, the different membership in unit level, it is reasonable for Forestry Association to change into the Forestry Cooperative, the purpose of which should be the economic one of protecting the member's welfare. It means that the organization for forest owners excludes the government's interference on Forestry Association up to now.
Government has supported about 770 forest technical guides to the provincial Forestry Associations during the past 10 years, who can consult with forest owners and can provide the advanced forest technical and economical information. However because of economic weakness of forest management, the forestry guidance project faces financial constraints. The forest land owners feel uncomfortable with the Forestry Association's negative or inadequate activities and complain about that. Therefore, for the future development of Korea's forestry, it is essential to have the forest owner's voluntary participation, and it is also urgent for the Forestry Associations to be able to accomplish their organizational constitutional development.
The Forestry Cooperatives, which are non-governmental forest organizations, play important roles in implementing the forest owner's activities. The goal of Forestry Cooperatives is to manage their forest rationally by enlarging management scale through cooperating production elements such as forest land, labour, and capital of the small-scale private forest owners, and to improve the socio-economic position of the members. In 1993, the Forestry Associations were reorganized into Forestry Cooperatives, whose members are forest owners who want to voluntarily participate. For the cooperatives predecessors, the Forestry Association, membership included all forest owners and village residents in mountain areas for reforestation and forest protection. For this, "Forestry Cooperatives Law" replaced the "Forestry Association Law" in the same year.
Now the Forestry Cooperatives have 2 levels, one is the unit level in 142 Gun Provinces, and the other is the Federal Cooperatives of which the individual forestry cooperatives are members. The former Forestry Association had 3 levels, and units were village forest associations composed of forest owners and neighbours in the village. It was a useful mechanism for government to reforest and protect the forest surrounding the villages. The number of the unit associations was about 20,000, and the number of the middle level organizations "provincial forest associations" (which had the unit village forestry associations as members) was about 142. The Federal Association had the provincial Forestry Association as members. However it is more helpful for forest owners if there are reduced levels in the organization, because of multi-level disadvantages for sustainable forestry development. Between now and 2010, the 3rd level, "Sanrimgae" will be disbanded and will disappear.
After 1993, there are many changes in Forestry Cooperative's activity, and a lot of advantages for sustainable forest management in Forestry Cooperatives' business.
The diversity of Forestry Cooperative's business
The current business of Forestry Cooperatives includes planning of reforestation, management and harvesting, collection, storage, selling of forest products, and loans of forest funds. Among them, the silviculture for the member increased 2 times in 2 year from 1993 to 1995. And by-product marketing such as mushroom also increased 1.8 times. Federal Forestry Cooperatives are also considering to supply the drinking water, which is produced in mountain areas, to urban people to increase the efficiency of member's forest management.
The intensification of extension service for member
Currently the members of Forestry Cooperatives are 457 thousand people (23% of total forest land owner). They have 410 thousand ha of forest which is only 10% of total forest. Compared to the former Forestry Association, it is only 25%. Even though the number of Cooperatives is lower compared to that of Associations, the inner development power is greater than before; the members of Forestry Cooperatives participate more actively than before.
Therefore Forest Cooperatives will lead the sustainable forest development of private forest in Korea. Especially it is very exciting for the members to have the more chance to receive the forest guidance of Forestry Cooperatives due to the reduction of members. The ratio of extension visits by extension agents has increased about 5 times in 2 years after transformation into Forestry Cooperatives. In 1993, every member of Forestry Association had the chance to meet forest guide 0.2 times per year, however after transformation in Forestry Cooperatives every member meet them 5 times in a year. It will give the chance to Forestry Cooperative's member to get more adequate information for sustainable forest management.
However it is also a problem for the Forestry Cooperatives to increase their membership and to expand the forest area of members for the sustainable forest management.
The strengthen of financial support by Government
To stimulate the activity of Forestry Cooperatives, Government also increased the financial support for the small-scale forest owner. Especially the special financial subsidy increased 4.4 times in 2 years. With this Federal Forestry Cooperatives started the mutual financial business in 1994, and 57 Forestry Cooperatives joined this business, and the total amount is about 0.2 billion dollars in 1995.
The construction of international cooperation for sustainable forest management
The sustainable forest management (SFM) is the core target for the 21 century. Fortunately, Korean Forestry Cooperatives was permitted to get the membership of the International Cooperatives Alliance (ICA) in June 1996, and it would be the good chance to strengthen the cooperation for sustainable forestry development with the other countries in future.
The first forestry organization was officially established in 1908 during the time of the Great Korean Empire. After establishment of the Republic of Korea, the Department of Forestry enlarged to Forestry Administration to accomplish successfully the reforestation in denuded mountains in 1967. However in 1973, Forestry Administration moved to Ministry of Home Affairs from Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to strengthen the duty of forest protection like ban of fire shifting cultivation, control of forest fire and diseases and to more easily mobilize the villagers to plant the trees. In 1987, Forestry Administration moved again under Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with the appraisals of accomplishment of the successful reforestation. Recently, in order to emphasize the role of forest for the global environmental preservation, Forestry Administration attaches importance to environmental forestry as well as to economic forestry.
Forestry Administration administer forest policy, executing laws relating to forests and forestry, and also supports and implements all types of forestry activities such as the formation and management of forest resources, protection and development of forests, utilization and development of forest products, research and training on forestry, sustainable forest management, extension service through Forestry Cooperatives, and etc..
