By Kim Se-jeong
A rising number of pine trees are dying after being infected with pine wilt nematode, Green Korea said Monday.
The environmental group warned that the disease may kill all pine trees on the country’s mountains within three years unless something is done.
The group said 72 villages in 13 provinces are currently affected by the pine wilt disease. It causes trees to wilt, and destruction is visible because the trees quickly turn red.
In 2011, 46 villages were reportedly affected. Saying that the infection is spreading quickly, the group added, “If destruction continues like this, it could remove all the pine trees in the country.” Gyeongsang Province is most affected, especially near Busan, followed by Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces.
The group said many fine trees on major mountains are either destroyed or under imminent threat.
Originated in North America, the disease first affected Korea in 1988. Other affected countries include Japan, China, Taiwan and Portugal. Korea has almost 150 million pine trees that cover almost 30 percent of its mountains.
The pine wilt disease outbreak has been intermittent.
The most recent one began in 2013. Southern parts of the country were again hit hard, with the disease spreading to the north. The Korea Forest Service said last year alone it spent 91.3 billion won in fighting the disease.
For Jeju Island, the agency announced the situation was under control in May last year. But this was temporary as a new case was reported in November.
The NGO called on the central government to declare a state of emergency and to take more drastic measures. “The disease is also threatening mountain tops and national parks,” said Green Korea.
However, the forest service played down the situation.
“Although it is true that the disease is spreading, it is not as bad as the NGO claims,” a forest service official surnamed by Nam said. “We’re working to stop the spread, and we are certain the situation will be under control.”
The agency sprays chemicals from helicopters to prevent the spread. For areas that are already affected, the agency burns the trees or covers them in plastic bags for 60 days before pulping them.