61.1% aware of, 81.5% says effective about forest therapy
- Korea Gallup''s poll on awareness and demand on forest therapy





Korea Forest Service (Minister: Mr. Chung Kwang-soo) hired the services of Korea Gallup to undertake public poll on "forest therapy." The survey was performed from November 23 through December 4 on 834 adult respondents of 19 years and older, including 311 with health problems from environmental diseases.





The survey results showed that 61.1% of the respondents are aware of forest therapy and 81.5% of them said that forest therapy is effective for chronic and environmental disease.





Most of the respondents became aware of healing aspects of forest through media exposures on successful cases and testimony of friends or relatives, rather than first hand experience.





The potential users of forest therapy were most concerned about the cost (55%), time (14%), scale of facilities (8.7%), transportation (7.9%), and available medical services (7%). For extended stay in the accommodation facilities, the appropriate price range that potential users specified was 172,000 won per week and 544,000 won per month. Among them, 12% of chronic disease and environmental disease patients were willing to pay more than 800,000 won per month. As of the end of 2007, those suffering form high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, atopic disease, and cancer reached 8.04 million people nationwide. Considering this figure, it is estimated that 670,000 people nationwide is willing to use forest therapy facilities with cost.





86% of healthy respondents and 87.3% of respondents suffering from disease chose the distance of the forest therapy facilities as an important factor. Almost half (48.5%) of unhealthy respondents noted that they would be willing to travel up to 2 hours if the facilities are well-equipped with reasonable price.





31.3% of the healthy respondents and 35.8% of those suffering from disease were willing to use the therapy forest more than once a month. For each visit, most of the potential users were planning to stay 3-5 days, however 9.1% showed willingness to make an extended stay of more than 10 days. It can be estimated that 500,000 people nationwide is willing to make an extended in forest therapy facilities.





Forest therapy refers to healing disease and improving self-immunity through various natural elements of the forests like phytoncide, anion, scenery, sound, etc. The recent survey results showed increased concerned and expectations from the public on forest therapy as an alternative healing measure to effectively cure chronic and environmental disease as the number of related patients are increasing due to urbanization, industrialization and aging society.





The Korea Forest Service is to expand and establish more forest therapy facilities based on results of this survey. Such efforts are expected to contribute to enhancing public health and cutting back the medical expenses of the general public.





At the same time, the amendment to the『Act on Forest Culture and Recreation』was submitted to and deliberated by the National Assembly''s Legislation and Judiciary Committee in December of 2009. Therefore, the policy on forest therapy is expected to gain momentum based on firm institutional grounds.