The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (LEE Wan-koo) had attended the 70th Arbor Day Ceremony on April 5, 2015 at the National Forest Seed and Variety Center (Chungju, Chungbuk Province). At this event, the Prime Minister Lee gave a speech emphasizing the need to develop our forest resources up to same level as the developed nations.

On this Arbor Day, the Prime Minister had planted trees together with the foresters and children. There were about 200 foresters and government forestry officials participating to this event, including the Minister of the Korea Forest Service (SHIN Won-sop), and total of 500 larch and fir trees were planted during this event. Minister SHIN Won Sop said “this year is the 70th anniversary for both the Korean Independence and the Arbor Day,” and he asked the citizens to join in the tree planting and caring.”

Unlike the other Arbor Day ceremonies before, this time, the ceremony was held together with the Forest Policy Forum to discuss the future direction for the developing forest policies. The Prime Minister Lee also participated in this Forum and gave a speech. He said that Korea should go beyond its success in the forestation and aim to become a powerful forestry nation. He also stated that “we should establish a management system with a long term plan for the next century and beyond,” and that “at the same time, we should seek the methods which also benefits the private owners.” He emphasized the need to transform the private forest policy so that the quality of the forest could be raised through facilitating commercial forests.

The National Forest Seed and Variety Center (FSVC) is an agency under KFS aiming to promote the development of new varieties by establishing a system of protection for forest varieties, to set up a system of national management for forest seeds and seedlings, to increase its productivity, and also aiming to establish a system of management for forest genetic resources and promote its use. Recently, FSVC is storing the seeds in preparation for the forest restoration of devastated North Korean forests.