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Chun Young-woo, professor of the department of forest resources at Kookmin University |
By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Why are Korean red pines planted in front of the office of the Korean president at Cheong Wa Dae? Why are the trees seen around the royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom? Why did ancient Koreans in the Joseon Kingdom grant the second highest official rank in the government to a grandiose red pine, and even bestow a fortune on an old Seoksongnyeong pine tree? Why is the lumber of the pines being used for the renovation of Gyeongbok Palace?
``The Red Pine'' written by Chun Young-woo, professor of the department of forest resources at Kookmin University, answers these questions to help foreigners understand the significance of Korean pine trees as well as the country's culture.
This book examines the centuries-long relationship between Korean people and the red pine. The utility of the tree, which has sustained agrarian societies across the Korean landscape, has contributed to the people's world of spirituality and culture.
``The pine is the only natural object included in the country's top 100 symbols designated by the government. It shows how nature affects the nation's culture and way of thinking. Understanding the pine is the key to understanding Korean culture,'' Chun said in an interview with The Korea Times.
The professor, who has devoted himself to the protection of the pine over the last 20 years, emphasized that the tree was a driving force behind the Korean civilization.
Chun said that behind national pride was the pine. Without pine trees, it would have been unthinkable to construct buildings such as royal palaces, and the turtle ship or other warships that thwarted Japanese invaders. Additionally, Joseon white porcelain pottery would not have been created because the pines were the wood used to fire the kilns.
The Red Pine
Chun Young-woo; Book’s Hill;
108 pp., 15,000 won |
``The pine was more than a tree for early Koreans ― it was treated as a human being. Such utilitarian virtues provided an immense influence on the psyche of our ancestors. The written symbols of the universe, life, longevity, integrity and elegance were based on pine trees. And it lives on in our spirit today,'' he said.
However, the utility of the pine has changed over time and also the trees are now on the brink of the disappearance due to global warming that has produced ecological changes on the peninsula and frequent pine-wilt disease.
``The pine no longer performs many of the vital roles it once played during past agrarian societies in Korea. But I believe that it represents a cultural code for Korean identity. The tree continues to symbolize such values as integrity, honor, devotion, pride, vitality and abundance,'' he said.
Over the last 60 years, pine forests in Korea have been reduced to a third of their previous extent, due to massive exploitation by Japanese colonialists, illegal logging and overcutting in times of social disorder ― such as after the Korean War ― and other unstable periods in society that occurred after the country's independence in 1945. However, 23 percent of the entire wooded area in South Korea is still occupied by red pine forests. The red pine is the most common tree on the Korean landscape.
The prominent position of the tree is more likely because it was a distinguished product of the agrarian culture in Korea, which had been fostered for millennia.
``For example, you can find vibrant pine forests near older villages where people live today, while the tree is not easily found as you go deeper into the mountains where human settlements are absent. In other words, the pine forests appear to have formed naturally, but they are no longer as they used to appear. In contrast, the forests around settlements have retained their shape and structure largely because of continuous human intervention,'' the professor said.
In Korea's agrarian society, villagers took fallen leaves out of forests and thus helped the seeds of the pine shed and spread. The reason why pine forests in Korea are gradually declining and disappearing is because this ``human intervention'' has been discontinued. A good example is Mt. Namsan in the center of the metropolitan city of Seoul. Forested areas where the pine once thrived are transitioning to oaks as a result of the natural process of forest succession in the absence of ``human intervention.''
Chun said that pine forests are now succumbing to natural ecological forces of this succession and are slowly being transformed into broadleaved woodlands.
``But we can help the pines thrive in this modern era if we take care of them even though we have to pay much for their preservation and protection. Most Koreans in the current industrialized society continue to love, cherish, and sustain red pines. The understanding of the unique tree-related culture is more or less parallel with an understanding of the Korean view of nature, and forest history,'' he said.
chungay@koreatimes.co.kr |
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
