Minister Kim Jae-hyun of the Korea Forest Service (KFS)

Minister Kim Jae-hyun of the Korea Forest Service (KFS) said, “I feel a heavy responsibility in forming the groundwork down the road like the expanding of healthy forests and public functions and services of forests.” 

He stressed forest policies that focus on “human-oriented” forest resources circulation economy. Prof. Kim of Kunkook University took office as the 31st minister of the Korea Forest Service (KFS), the first KFS minister of the President Moon Jae-in government on July 18. The following are excerpts of an interview between NewsWorld and KFS Minister Kim in which he expounded KFS policies, including forest job creation.

Question: The KFS celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding. How does it take on significance?

Answer: The KFS has successfully restored desolate land to forests for the past 50 years. I feel a heavy responsibility of laying the groundwork for the expansion of healthy forests, public functions and services of forests. 

The KFS, setting a “human-oriented” resources economy as the guideline of forest policies, plans to handle such tasks as forest job creation, a master plan for making forests an advanced space of the future, green infrastructure connected with urban renewal, and the building of green governance. 

Dignitaries participate in a ceremony to publish a compilation of the 50-year history of the Korea Forest Service at the National Institute of Forest Science in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, on April 7.

Q: Are there many events marking the 50 the anniversary across the nation?

A: Anniversary events and publicity activities for the whole of 2017 in celebration of the 50th anniversary shed new light on Korean forest history and we’ve declared a new forest vision in celebration of the Mountain Day anniversary on Oct. 18.

Diverse “forest culture” events have been held or will be held, including a compilation of the 50-year history of the KFS, events to transplant tree in celebration of the 50th anniversary, treasure hunting events at arboretums and botanical gardens, events to promote the use of Korean timber and help the needy, and forest music concerts.

Please log on the website marking the 50th anniversary of opening of the KFS (forst50.com) to get real-time information on the events.

Q: What’s the greatest-ever achievements the KFS has made?

A: As I said earlier, restoring barren mountains to forests is believed to be the best-ever achievement. 

The KFS has succeeded in transforming our bald mountains into thick forests since the outbreak of the Korean War. 

I extend whole-hearted thanks to all people for their dedicated efforts to this cause. 

Q: The KFS has now been operating global forest organizations. Will you elaborate on the activities the KFS has been conducting to protect the environment?

A: The KFS has been expanding support in Korea and abroad. Korea has taken the initiative in forestry as the nation hosted the UNCCD COP 10 Gyeongnam Korea 2011 and proposed the establishment of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO). Korea will be the venue of the World Forestry Congress 2021. 

Through the sharing of Korea’s afforestation experiences and forest carbon measuring technologies, Korea has aggressively addressed anti-desertification, climate change, and conventions on biological diversity, and the nation plans to combat global warming. 

KFS Minister Kim Jae-hyun and senior KFS officials attend a signboard-hanging ceremony of the newly inaugurated the Forest Job Innovation Headquarters at the Daejeon Government Complex on Aug. 11.

Q: Will you touch on the progress of the KFS’s plan to create jobs?

A: The KFS inaugurated the Forest Job Innovation Headquarters to concentrate its capabilities on creating jobs on Aug. 11, and the working-level “Forest Job Startup Team” has been launched. We’ve established comprehensive steps to create jobs to align the KFS with the government’s roadmap for job creation in accordance with the state agenda. 

They call for expanding jobs in such public sectors as forest disasters and support in the forest service field with high demand and possible industrialization. 

The KFS plans to create a total of 60,000 jobs by 2022 by cultivating each region’s forest-led social economy and expanding jobs for the underprivileged and need, caused by the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Q: will you give detailed steps in how you plan to create jobs?

A: The KFS plans to boost income-led growth and job creation through the building of a “forest resources circulation economy” and “human-oriented” policies with the goal of creating 60,000 jobs by 2022.

Quality jobs will be created in such sectors as disaster and welfare management and support the underprivileged in the rural and mountain areas. We plan to ramp up field capabilities to cope with forest disasters and expand public and private forest welfare facilities.

In the private sector, the KFS will nurture each region’s clusters specializing in timber, stone and other forest resources to increase new employment and expand startup support to those who return to mountain areas, while fostering such specialized jobs as “tree doctors,” forest education and healing.

We plan to cultivate and explore the social economy in forestry to diversify job creation and promote shared growth between the forest industry and regional communities. To this end, intermediate support organizations will be inaugurated to ensure specialization and field approach support. 

Q: The KFS has already implemented a program in which returnee hopefuls can have hands-on experiences in mountain areas?

A: Returnee hopefuls are educated on three stages according to their determination and preparation levels ― interest, settlement and startup. Those who are in the interest stage are given guidance in an explanation session and basic education plus a two-night, three-day tour to experience mountainous life. In the settlement stage, returnee hopefuls will leave for a seven-night, eight-day program to experience in-depth mountainous life. Returnee hopefuls in the startup stage are educated on the cultivation of pollution-free forest products. 

A mountain area experience program in which returnee hopefuls are given chances to cultivate forest products with their seniors and experience mountain area life are enjoying popularity. Field crews who are forced to early retirement like workers with the declining shipbuilding industry are showing a keen interest in startup programs in mountain areas and forest industry like the cultivating of forest products by making the most of their talent.