Minister Park Jong-ho of the Korea Forest Service (KFS). (Photos: KFS)

Korea Forest Service held an event on a project to develop wearable technology designed to ensure safety during mountain firefighting, at the National Chilgok Wood Experience Center on Oct. 30.

The project involves the commercialization of forest science and technology to promote the efficiency and safety of mountain firefighting by developing “wearable robots” and “intelligent safety caps,” tailored to carry out firefighting in inaccessible areas of the country.

Wearable robots will assist firefighters to ease muscular exhaustion and fatigue they experience during line-of-duty mountain firefighting.

Intelligent safety caps will facilitate swift and seamless communications between the fire scene and situation room by enabling control systems, voice calls and photo transmission.

KFS Vice Minister Choi Byung-am was on hand at the report session in which wearable robots and intelligent safety caps were test-operated, and a firefighting crew outfitted with wearable robots were engaged in virtual mountain firefighting.

The simulation was shared by a vehicle commanding the operation on the scene via an intelligent safety cap.

In connection with the implementation of the project, a special squad and an airborne firefighting team have regularized line-of-duty discussions and demonstration sessions to develop wearable equipment.

Prototype products will be made available at mountainous areas from this winter until next year under a pilot program.

KFS Vice Minister Choi said, “KFS will prevent forest disasters which tend to get bigger, minimize damages and promote public safety by continuously developing intelligent (smart) forest technology.”

Officials with the Korea Forest Service, including Dir.-Gen, Koh Ki-yeon in charge of international forest cooperation at KFS, attend a ceremony at Dunsan Building in Daejeon on Nov. 9 to open a planning and preparation office for the hosting of the World Forest Congress 2021, to be held May 24-28, 2021, in Seoul.

 
KFS Holds World Forestry Congress D-200 Countdown

KFS held an international forum in Seoul on Nov. 9, embarking on a 200-day countdown event before the World Forest Congress 2021 slated for May 24-28, 2021, in Seoul. A forum on “Messages from Forests” took place at COEX in Seoul.

It was a special event to discuss the roles and future of forests on a date marking the 200 day countdown to the XV World Forestry Congress, with the view to garner greater attention and interest from the international community in the coming Congress.

For more information, visit the WFC 2021 website https://wfc2021korea.org/.

Dir.-Gen, Koh Ki-yeon in charge of international forest cooperation at KFS briefs about the hosting of an international forum slated for Nov. 9 in Seoul in celebration of a 200-day countdown before the World Forest Congress 2021, to be held May 24-28, 2021, in Seoul.