South Korean regions intensify fight against pine wilt disease

South Korean local governments are intensifying efforts to combat the spread of pine wilt disease, a forest pest that causes 100% mortality in infected trees. In Gyeonggi Province, the number of infected trees has surged by approximately 67.8% over the past year, reaching 116,665 trees. In response, the province is establishing a dedicated task force to implement a five-year regional prevention strategy and coordinate with neighboring regions like Seoul and Gangwon.

In Boryeong, the area has been officially designated as a special prevention zone. This designation allows for year-round systematic control measures, including the collection and crushing of infected wood, preventive injections, and species conversion, supported by national government funding.

In Yongin, authorities are urging citizens to manage private pine trees by applying preventive injections between November and March. Meanwhile, in Gwangyang, the disease has spread extensively, with over 33,000 trees reported as infected.