South Korea's forests were in an exceptionally poor condition after decades of exploitation and the destruction caused by the Korean War. By 1960, the average growing stock had fallen to just 10.6 cubic metres per hectare, compared with about 100 cubic metres per hectare in the early 1900s.

South Korea's forests were in an exceptionally poor condition after decades of exploitation and the destruction caused by the Korean War. By 1960, the average growing stock had…

After the Korean War ended in 1953, South Korea faced severely degraded hills and mountains, with millions of hectares classified as “bare mountain.” Over the following decades,…