From a national reforestation success story to a global solution for humanity

The Korea Forest Service (KFS), under the leadership of Minister LIM Sang-seop, announced that the Korea Reforestation Archives: A reforestation model achieved through public-private governance has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The decision was made at 11 p.m. on April 10 (local time) during the 221st session of the Executive Board held in Paris, France (April 2-17).

The archives document the full process of Korea’s reforestation efforts, jointly carried out by the government and the people to restore land devastated by the Korean War. The collection includes 9,619 items?laws, official documents, photographs, and films?chronicling Korea’s remarkable journey of forest recovery.

The campaign began in earnest with the launch of the First 10-Year National Forest Plan (1973?1978). Through projects such as erosion control*, restoration of slash-and-burn fields, and extensive tree planting, Korea was able to prevent disasters like landslides and droughts, rehabilitate degraded land, and lay the groundwork for economic development.
* Erosion control: Projects involving artificial structures or vegetation to prevent slope collapse and soil erosion.

To encourage public participation, the government offered various incentives to local communities. As rural conditions improved and incomes rose, the initiative gained widespread support. As a result, forest volume increased from 5.6㎥/ha in the 1960s to 165㎥/ha in 2020?transforming the country into a land of thriving forests.

Korea’s experience has since been recognized as a model for developing countries facing deforestation and land degradation. This public-private governance approach has been adopted in ODA projects and international training programs, and is expected to contribute to global efforts addressing climate change, desertification, and forest ecosystem restoration.

Minister LIM stated, “The inscription of the Korea Reforestation Archives on the Memory of the World Register is meaningful recognition of Korea’s forest policies by the international community. We will continue to turn past records into future solutions, fulfilling our role as a global leader in protecting our shared future through forests.”