There are concerns of Korean pine tree extinction as the pine wilt disease have spread to the northern regions of Korea. The recent outbreak of the disease occurred in Donghae City of Gangwon Province that the Korea Forest Service is conducting a prevention operation. The infected trees are cut and transported and the roots are treated with fumigation.

The disease was detected for the third time this year in Andong and Ganeung area alone. The disease is casued by thread-like nematode of 1 mm long. A pair could multiply to 20,000 nematodes within 20 days. These nematodes block the flow of water and nutrition, withering the pine tree to death within 1 year of infection.

The pine wilt disease has occurred in 8 different countries including Japan and China. However, there has not been a successful case of total extermination. The pine trees of Japan and Taiwan are close to extinction. Pine trees take up 25% of Korean forests and they have the highest value as timber that the existence of the pine trees is in the dire extremity.

Pine Wilt Disease, on the Verge of Extinction