Forest Owner Asked First, Turning Mount Gyebangsan Forest the Size of 280 Soccer Fields into a Protected Area

The owner of a forest in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, asked the government to impose the strictest protections on his own land. The move has turned the Unduryeong and Jilgol area of Mount Gyebangsan into a 198-hectare Forest Genetic Resources Protection Area, roughly the size of 280 soccer fields.

Sim Jeong-jin, 76, told reporters at the entrance to Jilgol that he wanted only to see the forest preserved as it is, with animals such as roe deer, martens and wild boar able to live there undisturbed. His forest sits on the boundary between Hongcheon and Pyeongchang, next to Odaesan National Park, and includes a mixture of private and state-owned land.

“

What I want is just to see the forest preserved as it is, and to see animals such as roe deer, martens and wild boar living here comfortably.

All 51 hectares owned by a farming corporation established by Sim now fall under protection. About 28 hectares of Jilgol received the designation in December last year, followed by another 23 hectares in July this year. Adjacent state-owned forest brought the total protected area to 198 hectares. The designation prohibits forest damage and restricts the collection or destruction of forest products, livestock grazing and changes to the land.

“

I felt the seriousness of climate change after working in the seafood trade for the past 30 years.

The site contains about 300 native plant species, including rare and endemic plants designated by the Korea Forest Service. Surveys and sensor cameras also recorded endangered wildlife such as otters, leopard cats, martens and Siberian flying squirrels. A forest biodiversity researcher at the National Arboretum said the area’s proximity to Odaesan National Park suggested it could support similar biodiversity, including diverse subalpine vegetation.

Private landowners do not normally initiate such designations, making Sim’s proposal the first known case in South Korea. He said three decades in the seafood import business had shown him the seriousness of climate change, as warmer waters reduced Alaska pollock catches and changed their migration routes. After buying Jilgol in 2019, he approached the government and Green Korea United, eventually proposing protection for nearby state forest as well. The government plans to begin a pilot payment program next year to support private forest owners who enter conservation agreements. Sim said he now wants to work with government experts to study and protect the forest’s wildlife, beginning with a possible fish passage in the valley.

“

The forest genetic resources protection area has the character of a strict nature reserve, among the highest levels of protection in the IUCN’s protected-area categories.