[Editorial] Everyone Must Help Save Korea's Pines

Pine wilt disease, sometimes called "AIDS for pine trees," has been discovered in a remote part of Gangneung City, Gangwon Province. It has been discovered within 10 kilometers of the spectacular trees of Daegwallyeong. The disease is approaching Baekdu Daegan. It is so serious that it almost seems a waste to blame anyone for how it crossed the disease control line.

100 percent of all pine trees that have it die. There is no cure. All you can do is burn trees that have been affected or cover them with plastic sheeting and fumigate them, or prevent the vectors from spreading. It has been found in fifty places since first being discovered at Mount Geumjeong, in Busan, in 1988, and the speed at which it spreads is increasing. It was discovered in ten places last year, and twelve localities already this year. It was a big mistake to not have responded decisively when it was first discovered. The government will find it hard to escape criticism for not having taken the situation seriously enough, since it has left dealing with the disease up to forestry management authorities.

It has only been since this year that a law about fighting such diseases went into effect, but the agencies that are supposed to make the law effective are still watching from a distance, like watching a fire from the far side of a river. The law will be useless unless the police, transportation management agencies, and local governments fail to actively prevent the movement of infected trees. If the approach does not change the country will be unable to avoid the nightmare of Japan and Taiwan, which have essentially given up on their pine trees.

There has to be a government-wide response and it needs to be decisive. China has gone so far as to cut down all the pines within a four kilometer zone near a famous natural area it wants to protect. Experts are saying that if the situation continues like it has been, in another two to three years it will be hard to reverse the trend. There is no time to waste. The people cannot sit back and do nothing. The disease is spreading further because of people who are either ignorant or selfish and take trees from infected areas to use for landscaping, lumber, and firewood. Everyone has to be on the lookout. Otherwise, the pine trees that have long played a role in our culture might soon disappear.

The Hankyoreh, 21 October 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]