By Lee Hyo-sik
The Korea Forest Service (KFS) will create more green areas in Seoul and other large cities to improve the living conditions for urban dwellers, the head of the state-run agency said Wednesday.
In an interview with The Korea Times, KFS Minister Shin Won-sop also said he will make more efforts to nurture forests as a place for education and leisure.
"If we have more forests inside cities, this will greatly benefit the livelihoods of urban residents," Shin said. "The greenery lowers temperatures in the summer and helps reduce air pollution, as well as providing space for recreation."
Trees also help ease noise generated by automobiles and other objects, creating more pleasant living conditions for city residents, the minister said. "In addition, urban forests provide psychological benefits by lowering residents' stress levels, and offer sanctuary for wildlife."
The KFS has been implementing a number of forest restoration projects across the country to improve residential environment, he said.
"More than 91 percent of Koreans now live in cities but many of them suffer from noise, air pollution and heat island effects in the summer," Shin said. "In cooperation with municipal administrations, we have been planting trees on unused lands to create small-scale forests. Korean cities lag far behind those in other countries in per-capita green space."
The minister said KFS will spend 456 billion won through 2017 to create thousands of small-scale urban forests. Among others, he would like to build the green space for school children who are mostly surrounded by apartments and other concrete structures.
"It is unfortunate that many children these days do not know what a forest is like. I would like to create places filled with various trees and flowers for them. If they spend time there every day, this will greatly benefit their physical and psychological development," Shin said.
He then said KFS will build more recreational forests in rural areas where urban residents can go and spend time interacting with the nature. The agency currently operates 162 recreational forests across the country, which offer a variety of programs for visitors.
"We would like to promote the family-oriented vacation culture and our recreational forests are the perfect place for families to spend vacations together at lower costs," Shin said. "We will continue to develop more educational programs and make more efforts to ensure the safety of visitors while they are among wildlife."
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Shin Won-sop |
In an interview with The Korea Times, KFS Minister Shin Won-sop also said he will make more efforts to nurture forests as a place for education and leisure.
"If we have more forests inside cities, this will greatly benefit the livelihoods of urban residents," Shin said. "The greenery lowers temperatures in the summer and helps reduce air pollution, as well as providing space for recreation."
Trees also help ease noise generated by automobiles and other objects, creating more pleasant living conditions for city residents, the minister said. "In addition, urban forests provide psychological benefits by lowering residents' stress levels, and offer sanctuary for wildlife."
The KFS has been implementing a number of forest restoration projects across the country to improve residential environment, he said.
"More than 91 percent of Koreans now live in cities but many of them suffer from noise, air pollution and heat island effects in the summer," Shin said. "In cooperation with municipal administrations, we have been planting trees on unused lands to create small-scale forests. Korean cities lag far behind those in other countries in per-capita green space."
The minister said KFS will spend 456 billion won through 2017 to create thousands of small-scale urban forests. Among others, he would like to build the green space for school children who are mostly surrounded by apartments and other concrete structures.
"It is unfortunate that many children these days do not know what a forest is like. I would like to create places filled with various trees and flowers for them. If they spend time there every day, this will greatly benefit their physical and psychological development," Shin said.
He then said KFS will build more recreational forests in rural areas where urban residents can go and spend time interacting with the nature. The agency currently operates 162 recreational forests across the country, which offer a variety of programs for visitors.
"We would like to promote the family-oriented vacation culture and our recreational forests are the perfect place for families to spend vacations together at lower costs," Shin said. "We will continue to develop more educational programs and make more efforts to ensure the safety of visitors while they are among wildlife."
