- APEC EGILAT to convene on July 29 to 30

The Korea Forest Service (Minister LIM Sang-seop) announced that it will host the 28th APEC Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT) Plenary Meeting over two days, from July 29 (Tue) to 30 (Wed) at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

For this meeting, over 80 representatives from each government and experts from international organizations will gather to share information and discuss policy directions to promote legal timber trade.

The main agendas items will particularly focus on sharing cases of institutional and policy implementation by member economies exploring cooperation opportunities with international organizations discussing EGILAT’s future plans, and strengthening capacity to respond to illegal logging.

* Legal timber: timber produced from areas where logging is authorized, or with international certifications (e.g., FSC, PEFC).

* Illegal logging: the act of logging without permission from the government.


APEC EGILAT, Expert Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade, was established in 2011 to combat illegal logging and to promote the production and trade of legally logged timber within APEC regions. As the host economy of APEC 2025, Korea held the 27th EGILAT Meeting in Gyeongju last February, KFS continues its efforts to promote international cooperation on legal logging trade by hosting the 28th meeting in Incheon during SOM 3 period, which begins on July 26.

Furthermore, on July 28 (Mon), the day before the plenary meeting, KFS jointly hosted a workshop with Malaysia, attended by 90 domestic and international experts, for presentation and discussion on regarding wood species identification techniques. Through these discussions, practical deliberations were held to seek approaches to connect policy, technology, and implementation actors, strengthening the cooperation framework within the APEC regions.


Dr. NAM Song Hee, the Director General of the International Affairs Bureau of KFS, stated in his opening remarks, “We will strengthen global cooperation by expanding sustainable forest management and conservation policies, enabling people around the world can build a future based on sustainable forests.”