The Korea Forest Service hosted an event to commemorate the 44th year since the start of technical cooperation in the forestry sector with Germany that had largely contributed to development of Korea’s forests, the agency said Sunday.

German officials visited Korea for three days through Sunday at the invitation of the state-run forest service to show appreciation for their contribution in restoring Korea‘s forests in the course of the partnership between the countries from 1974 and 1993, and discussed ways to restore North Korea’s forestry.

“For Korean experts in the forestry industry, the 20 years or so until the Korean-German Forest Management Project was disbanded in 1993 was a pleasant time of learning and accomplishments. Thanks to such opportunity, South Korea was able to transform ruined land into beautiful forests,” Kim said during his opening remarks on Friday in Gangwon Province.

The anniversary was celebrated through events in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, and Ulsan Metropolitan City, where the technical collaboration mostly took place. At the attendance was Manfred Bauer, head of unit of at the Hessian Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, who also heads the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. Also joining the visit were two German forestry technicians Hartmut Kiene-Kroos·and Joachim Lorbach, who had participated in the Korean-German project.

History of the two countries’ forestry cooperation dates back to Sept. 28, 1966, when they signed a treaty on technological partnership.

In 1974, an organization named “Korean German Forest Management Project” was established in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, to oversee forestry management here.

Through the project, they helped open an office for forestry management in Yangsan in 1975 alongside a forest machinery education center in 1982 in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.

The organization provided maps, equipment and facilities and supported the office’s independent management of pyogo mushroom growth, charcoal production, apiculture and fruit tree cultivation, according to the agency.

The office popularized its self-developed collaborative management model involving small private forests nationwide, preserved natural forests, developed equipment, improved planting methods, installed forest trails and nurtured professional forestry workers among others. The office was later absorbed under the National Forestry Cooperative Federation in 1984.

As the first itinerary, participants visited the Gangneung forest machinery education center to look back on the progress achieved, discussed measures for improvement and restoration of forests in North Korea.

“The event is a meaningful one for related officials, academia and NGOs to discuss measures to spread techniques learned through cooperation with Germany to North Korea. Based on our experience restoring forests here and overseas, we will successfully complete restoration business in North Korea,” Kim said.

The education center was built to train professional workers to use forest machinery for enhanced efficiency and productivity used curriculum and text books made in consideration of Korea’s situation back then.

It also provided opportunities for students to acquire license for skilled forest management technician, which helped increase off-farm income, the agency said.

After a decade of nurturing workers in forestry management, developing new equipment, opening pilot forest trails and running pilot projects involving management of state-owned forests, its business was also transferred to NFCF in 1993.

On the following day, the participants looked around the 2018 Korea Forest Culture Expo underway until Oct. 14 in Inje, Gangwon Province, where plaques of appreciation were delivered to officials whose contribution and efforts had led to Korea’s green forests.

Their visit wrapped up with visits to the Yangsan forest machinery education center and Ulju County, Ulsan, for a tour around the village the two countries collaborated on for forestry management filled with oak trees.

By Kim Bo-gyung and Lee Kwon-hyoung
(lisakim425@heraldcorp.com), (kwonhl@heraldcorp.com)