Assemblywoman Kwon Hyangyeop Calls for Clear Determination of Management Entity for Southern Baegunsan Experimental Forest in Gwangyang

"Permission for Free Use of National Assets Was Flawed from the Start"

"Seoul National University Act Must Be Amended to Reflect Local Governments' Voices"

Kwon Hyangyeop, a National Assembly member from the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, and Gurye B), pointed out during the 2025 fiscal year Special Committee for Budget and Accounts review session that the ongoing lack of a clear management entity for the Southern Baegunsan Experimental Forest in Gwangyang City has led to confusion within the local community.

In 2011, as Seoul National University was undergoing incorporation, it requested the Ministry of Strategy and Finance for a free transfer of ownership over three experimental forests (the Southern Forest, Chilbosan, and Taehwasan) and the Gwanak Arboretum, which were national assets. However, due to some debate over whether and to what extent these properties would be used for educational and research purposes, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance stated that further review would take place after the establishment of the university corporation.

Based on this, in 2012, the then Ministry of Education, Science and Technology granted Seoul National University temporary permission for the free use of the Southern Experimental Forest as a national asset and authorized the university to manage it on an interim basis until a final decision could be made regarding the transfer. Fourteen years have since passed.

According to the 1996 publication "50 Years of Practice Forests at Seoul National University," the Southern Experimental Forest was initially leased for 80 years by the College of Agriculture at Tokyo Imperial University from the Government-General of Korea in July 1912 and managed as a practice forest for 34 years until Korea’s liberation in 1945. After liberation, in February 1946, Seoul National University received another lease for 80 years from the U.S. military government to manage the forest as a university-affiliated practice forest. That is the only recorded detail.

Furthermore, after July 1958, management responsibility for the Southern Experimental Forest was transferred from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to the Ministry of Education’s predecessor, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and it has been managed as a national forest since then. However, Seoul National University currently does not possess the original lease agreement from that time.

In response, Assemblywoman Kwon addressed the Minister of Education during the fiscal year 2025 Special Committee on Budget and Accounts review session, stating, "The fact that the Southern Experimental Forest was first used by Tokyo Imperial University during the Japanese colonial period, and then managed by the U.S. military government rather than the Korean government, renders the current permission for Seoul National University’s free use of this national asset fundamentally flawed from the outset." She added, "There needs to be a new set of standards for the management of existing national assets."

Furthermore, Assemblywoman Kwon remarked, "Because of this unverifiable 80-year lease term, confusion is increasing within the local community," and emphasized that, "Even if it requires amending the Seoul National University Act, there must be procedures ensuring that the opinions of local governments are taken into account in the management of national assets."

Currently, Article 22, Paragraph 1 of the "Act on the Establishment and Operation of Seoul National University as a National University Corporation" states: "The state shall, notwithstanding the National Property Act and the Commodity Management Act, transfer free of charge any state property and goods (excluding national heritage as defined in the National Heritage Basic Act) managed at the time of the establishment of Seoul National University (hereinafter referred to as 'the former Seoul National University') if deemed necessary for the operation of the National University Corporation Seoul National University. In this case, the Minister of Education must listen to the opinion of the President of the National University Corporation Seoul National University regarding whether such property is necessary for operation, and must consult in advance with the Minister of Strategy and Finance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.