Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Agency Designated a Public Institution, Gaining Wings for Integrated Forest Disaster Response

[Financial News] The Korea Forest Service (KFS) said on the 11th that the Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Agency (the Forest Safety Agency) had been designated a public institution following deliberation and approval by the Public Institution Management Committee of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Agency is a specialized forest disaster response agency launched on April 10 by merging three organizations—the Korea Forest Fire Prevention Technology Association, the Korea Association of Forest Conservation Technology, and the Forest Pest Monitoring Center of the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute—in line with the implementation of the Forest Disaster Prevention Act. It has provided comprehensive support for forest disaster prevention and response through surveys, research, education, training and technical assistance in the areas of wildfires, landslides, and forest pests and diseases.
Until now, forest disasters have been managed separately by different agencies according to type, prompting concerns that this limited coordinated responses across fields. In particular, as secondary, complex disasters—such as landslides or forest pest and disease damage following wildfires—have surged, the need to establish an integrated response system has steadily grown.
The Forest Disaster Prevention Act, which took effect on February 1, centers on grouping wildfires, landslides, and forest pests and diseases under the single category of “forest disasters” and managing them through one system, from prevention to recovery. The scope of management has also expanded from forests to adjacent areas. A procedure was introduced for the KFS to assess risks and provide its findings when construction permits or notifications are filed for areas adjoining forests. If signs of danger are detected, the head of the KFS can ask local government heads to order residents to evacuate. The Act also provides the legal basis for establishing the Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Agency.
Accordingly, without increasing staffing or budgets, the KFS maximized operational efficiency by linking and integrating the functions, personnel and equipment of the three existing organizations. This is the first concrete achievement of the government’s public institution efficiency policy in the forestry sector. The agency’s designation as a public institution is expected to provide institutional support for the merger and help strengthen its public mission and accountability.
With its new designation as a public institution, the Korea Forest Disaster Safety Technology Agency will be subject to a strict public institution management system, including management disclosures and customer satisfaction surveys. The agency plans to increase transparency in its operations while further strengthening its specialized support for forest disaster prevention and response, drawing on its integrated team of experts and accumulated technical expertise.
Park Eunsik, head of the KFS, said, “This designation as a public institution is an important achievement that will advance the integrated forest disaster support system established through the merger of the three organizations and strengthen the agency’s public mission and accountability. Going forward, through efficient agency operations and specialized support based on science and technology, we will protect the lives and property of the public from forest disasters and safeguard our valuable forest resources.”

[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter