Governor Choo Miae Pledges Support... Gapyeong County to Be Designated Special Control Zone for Pine Wilt Disease from Oct. 29

Korea Forest Service plans to designate all 84,366 hectares of Gapyeong County starting October 29
Gyeonggi Province's second special control zone; pine wilt disease damage up nearly 16-fold in five years
Year-round control and streamlined procedures to ramp up efforts to stop the spread

The designation of Gapyeong County as a special control zone for pine wilt disease, which Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Miae had promised to actively support, is expected to take place at the end of this month. With pine wilt disease damage in Gapyeong County having surged nearly 16-fold in five years, the county is expected to accelerate efforts to stop its spread by establishing a year-round control system.

Governor Choo Miae discusses control measures with Gapyeong County Mayor Seo Taewon and others during a visit to Namiseom on the 9th. Namiseom is known for its successful pine wilt disease control efforts. Provided by Gyeonggi Province.

Gyeonggi Province said on October 15 that the Korea Forest Service had issued a prior administrative notice on October 13 for a proposed designation of a “Special Control Zone for Pine Wilt Disease (Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province).”

The designation will cover all of Gapyeong County, an area of 84,366 hectares, including 68,332 hectares of forest. The designation period will run from October 29 until a notice is issued lifting it. If designated as planned, Gapyeong County will become Gyeonggi Province’s second special control zone, following Yangpyeong County in August.

Pine wilt disease damage in Gapyeong County is severe. According to county data, the number of affected trees rose from 4,591 in 2021 to 72,507 in 2025, an increase of about 16-fold. Over the same period, the control budget also grew more than fourfold, from 828 million won to 3.518 billion won, placing a burden on the county’s finances.

Designation as a special control zone will allow control measures to be carried out year-round and simplify procedures, including eliminating the need to collect branches. This will create conditions for faster and more efficient control work than before.

The effort to secure the designation took shape following Governor Choo’s visit to the site.

On October 9, Hangul Day, Governor Choo visited Nami Island, known for its exemplary pine wilt disease control efforts, and discussed control measures with Gapyeong County Governor Seo Taewon and others.

At the time, Governor Seo asked Gyeonggi Province for support in designating Gapyeong County as a special control zone to prevent the spread of the disease. In response, Governor Choo instructed Kim Ilgon, head of Gyeonggi Province’s Forest and Greenery Division, to provide active support at the site.

Since the start of this month, Governor Choo has also stepped up on-site efforts to prevent the spread of pine wilt disease.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae visits Nami Island on the 9th, recognized for its exemplary pine wilt disease control efforts, and discusses countermeasures with Gapyeong County Governor Seo Taewon and others. Provided by Gyeonggi Province.

On October 5, she ordered the formation of a dedicated task force (TF) and the establishment of a province-wide response system. Then, on October 7, she visited Mulhyanggi Arboretum in Osan and called for proactive measures, including establishing containment lines and researching preventive vaccine inoculations.

Once the designation of the special control zone is finalized, Gyeonggi Province plans to work with Gapyeong County to improve the efficiency of control operations and prevent the spread of pine wilt disease.

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