Action plan underway for N.K. forestation

Seoul is in the process of developing an action plan for a forestation project in North Korea, one of President Lee Myung-bak`s campaign pledges, based on information it gathered from satellite images so far.

"The government drew-up a basic draft last year on which areas in North Korea are in need of more trees and to what extent, after examining satellite images," Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said.

"Related ministries -- the Unification Ministry, the Environment Ministry and the Korea Forest Service -- are now in the course of developing an action plan."

The South Korean government, however, has no plans as of yet to discuss the project with North Korean authorities, according to Lee.

"We would ultimately have to consult with North Korean officials in order to implement the action plan, but future schedules depend on inter-Korean relations," she said.



Forestation has been one of the top priorities among President Lee`s North Korea policy tasks ever since he vowed as a presidential candidate to plant 100 million trees north of the border.

The president ordered related ministries on Tuesday to gauge the impact of the planned forestation project on the entire Korean peninsula and review measures to support North Korea`s forestation.

Lee made the instruction while presiding over a Cabinet meeting which finalized the South Korean government`s plan to cut the nation`s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below expected levels in 2020, or a 4 percent reduction from 2005 levels.

"POSCO went all the way to South America to plant trees," the president said, referring to the steelmaker`s ongoing forestation work in Uruguay to secure carbon emission rights.

"Why not go to North Korea which is closer and has less trees?"

Lee has reportedly stressed that in addition to acquiring carbon emission rights, the nonpolitical and humanitarian character of a forestation project in the North would have positive effects on inter-Korean relations.

The presidential committee on green growth is expected to start reviewing the forestation scheme in North Korea as early as January based on reports from related agencies.

"Private organizations and provincial governments (from South Korea) are sporadically engaging in tree planting activities in North Korea," the president said.

"The government should map out a comprehensive and systematic plan to support forestation in the North from the perspective of a low-carbon, green growth strategy."

The forestation project, however, is a long-term policy task for the Lee government, according to a presidential aide.

"The government will take its time in pushing ahead with the North Korean forestation project after looking at the outcome of a feasibility study and progress in the North`s denuclearization," said the aide.

Images provided by NASA showed that vast forest fires hit a large part of central North Korea last month.

The U.S. space agency said multiple fires had been burning in North Korea since mid-October, with several hot spots located in a mountainous region in the center of the country.

(sophie@heraldm.com)







By Kim So-hyun