Anniversary
49 Years of Forest Cooperation between Germany and Korea

Picture from 2018 about a prior anniversary

HSF Korea supports the reconciliation process on the Korean peninsula. We try to contribute to this process through various projects. One of these thematic focuses is German-Korean forest cooperation. For almost 50 years, there has been cooperation in this field at the state level. Our office cooperates with partners in this field and is involved in reforestation. HSF Korea's representatives attended various events in this field, e.g., the 15th World Forestry Congress and the Inter-Korean Forestry Cooperation Seminars. Experts from different fields participate in these events to discuss measures for climate protection and forest ecosystem restoration. The cooperation between governmental and non-governmental actors in this field serves the purpose of exchanging experiences. In particular, the Korean side benefits from Germany's reunification experience.

In 1974, negotiations were held regarding German-Korean cooperation in the economic sector. In this context, it was agreed that Germany would help South Korea in the area of forestry. The mandate was to increase forest management in terms of profitability and efficiency. In the long term, the aim was to increase timber production, prevent soil erosion and make better use of water resources. Initially, the project had a duration of five years. Specialists from Germany were also sent to Seoul and furthermore, the awarding of five scholarships for study visits for Korean forest experts was agreed upon.

The exchange in forest cooperation is a significant way to engage in dialogue together with the aim of building trust on the Korean Peninsula. HSF Korea will continuously cooperate with our partners in the forestry field.

Link to the original agreement.