Good morning!In recent times, people’s interest in the restoration of forest fire damaged areas has been getting higher because forest fires have drawn attention as a social issue. Thus, the National Institute of Forest Science has announced future research plans and findings in regard to the past 27 years of the restoration of forest damage to let people understand it.The NIFoS have established a long-term research site in Samcheok to monitor changes in forest fire damage by developing restoration technology and to reveal a restoration process of an ecosystem in the area.Now, NIFoS will let you know the major results of monitoring forest fire restoration sites over the past 27 years. First, species planted in the forest fire damaged area show initial survival rates. This is an important measure to determine the success or failure of the restoration of afforested land. In accordance with a survey of pine trees, oyster oak, oak trees, maple trees, zelkova, and birch trees in Goseong, Gangneung, Donghae, and Samcheok, Gangwon-do, the survival rate of pine trees after one year of afforestation was 89%, which was much better than the average survival rate of broadleaf trees. The high survival rate of pine trees means they grow well even in barren soil, such as in a forest fire damaged area. The soil on the east coast is generally infertile, and the topsoil in damaged areas containing nutrients becomes poorer by the fire. Pine trees are the ones that grow in this unproductive condition.Most forest owners prefer to plant pine trees when it comes to deciding the species of restoration. It is because of economic reasons, and 84.6% of forest owners have expected to plant pine trees due to their productivity during the restoration of forest fire damage in 2000 on the east coast.Therefore, considering the ecology of pine trees that adapt well to barren soil and the economic value of mountain owners, it is necessary to plant pine trees where they want to grow well.However, in order to prevent the spread of forest fires, it is necessary to convert pine forests around major facilities such as private houses, power generation facilities, and cultural assets into fire-resistant broadleaf forests. Forest fires preventive measures are also needed in the pine forests by creating a firebreak.For your information, I will tell you the current status of pine trees and their afforestation performance in Korea. Korea's pine forests account for about 25% of the nation's forest area. Pine forests nationwide account for 94% of natural forests where seeds are spread and 6% of artificial forests planted by humans. Pine trees account for about 4%, or 100,000 ha, of the trees planted over the past 50 years (1973-2022). That is, most of the pine forests in Korea are now naturally created.Second, it is the result of the evaluation of the resilience of forests and soil 20 years after the forest fire. This result can be used to compare the advantages and disadvantages of afforestation and natural restoration. According to a long-term research survey in Goseong, Gangwon-do, forest development was better in afforestation and soil recovery in natural restoration.After 20 years, the height of the pine trees that were planted and restored was almost the same as the average height of pine trees in Gangwon-do, and the entire forest maintained a certain height and proper density. However, the natural restoration site where naturally occurring Mongolian oak trees predominated was 23~90% lower than the average height of Mongolian oak trees, and the height and density were not uniform for each location.Soil organic matter and nutrients gradually increased as two to three years passed after the forest fire broke out in both afforestation and natural restoration areas. However, even after 20 years, the organic matter of forest fire damage was 32-47%, and the nutrient content was 47-63% lower than that of undamaged areas. Comparing the recovery speed of soil organic matter and nutrients in the natural and afforestation sites, the natural restoration sites were 1.5 times and 1.3 times higher, respectively.The soil loss increased two years after the forest fire occurred in both the afforestation and the natural restoration area, but decreased as the vegetation cover was made, stabilizing three years later.As such, the restoration of forests and soil depends on the restoration method. Therefore, in order to increase the effectiveness of restoration, it is well shown that the method of restoration of forest fire damaged area should be carefully decided according to the characteristics of the location in consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of afforestation restoration and natural restoration.Third, it is a major research result on the restoration of forest biodiversity. Forest diversity is one of the important measures for evaluating the health of forests. Therefore, it is also vital to investigate and improve the recovery process of forest diversity.Forest diversity takes years to decades to recover to pre-forest fire conditions. Fishery recovered within three years, aquatic animals within nine years, and insects (antics) within 14 years, but mammals were 81% to 86% and birds were 62% to 72%, even after 20 years in population.This shows that it takes a long time to restore biodiversity in forest fire damaged areas, which means that technology to improve forest diversity habitats even in the forest fire damaged area is needed in terms of improving the health of the entire forest ecosystem in Korea.Korea's large-scale forest fires averaged only 1.8 cases per year over the past 30 years (1992-2021), but 11 cases in 2022 and 8 cases so far this year on May 2. Specific restoration guidelines are needed to implement successful restoration policies for this ever-increasing number of large forest fires.The National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) developed and distributed the " Post-Fire Restoration Manual" based on its experience in restoring large forest fires on Goseong and the east coast and the results of monitoring forest damage.This manual provided scientific and systematic guidance on how to restore forest fire damaged areas by presenting the principles, standards, procedures, and methods of restoration, which had been ambiguous before.Restoration of forest fire damaged area needs to comply with the basic principles presented in the manual. In other words, restoration of forest fire damaged areas is carried out in connection with the six functions of forests, including forest for water yield, forest for disaster prevention, forest for natural environment conservation, forest for timber conservation, recreational forests, and living environment conservation forest. In accordance with site quality and vegetation conditions, it must properly promote natural restoration and artificial restoration to reflect forestry owners’ opinions.In addition, the manual stipulated the restoration procedure for forest fire damaged areas in the order of three steps: investigation of the affected area → emergency recovery → long-term restoration. Emergency recovery should be carried out quickly to prevent secondary damage such as landslides and soil loss caused by forest fires, and long-term restoration should be carried out by establishing a restoration plan considering the six functions of forests and the possibility of recovery.The NIFoS also has developed a "restoration decision flow chart" that stipulates procedures for determining restoration methods such as afforestation and natural restoration when establishing a restoration plan for forest fire damaged areas. The developed restoration decision flow chart is supplemented and applied according to the characteristics of each forest fire damaged area.According to the decision-making flowchart, experts in the forest, vegetation, animal, and social and economic sectors first participate in investigating the affected areas. Next, the final restoration method is determined by collecting opinions from various stakeholders, including forest owners, residents, and NGOs. The selection of afforestation species for forest fire damaged areas is also selected in consideration of multiple factors such as damage, ecological environment, and seedling supply and demand.Let us tell you three cases of restoration for forest fire damaged areas.The first is Goseong Forest Fire in Gangwon-do, where 3,762ha was destroyed in 1996. The Goseong forest fire became an opportunity for social attention to forest fires, and efforts to reveal the recovery process of forest fire damaged areas began from this time. A 48-member ecological investigation team was also formed to investigate the affected areas. There was also the active participation of the community in the process of establishing the direction of restoration.As a result, the direction of restoration was focused on revitalizing the local economy by restoring pine mushroom production. However, the afforestation plan, which was urgently decided to speed up the collection of pine mushrooms, did not go through sufficient agreement in advance. In addition, there is a limitation in that the restoration method has yet to be decided in consideration of the characteristics of the location. Second, the East Coast forest fire in 2000 caused the largest damage of 23,794 hectares. The east coast forest fire is an example of establishing a practical plan to restore forest fire damaged areas. As the damage was the largest ever, 176 persons of the public-private joint investigation team surveyed nine areas, including ecology, socio-economic aspects, and evaluation of restoration methods, and created restoration procedures and decision-making flowcharts.At that time, social policy factors such as public safety, pine mushroom production, and landscape restoration were first considered by holding two local public hearings with various stakeholders, and a plan of 51% for artificial restoration and 49% for natural restoration was established. However, there was a limit in that there was less process of collecting opinions compared to the size of the damage.In the case of forest fire damage in Uljin in 2022, there was a more efficient decision-making process. The Forest Fire Damage Restoration Promotion Council was formed to provide reasonable restoration directions to specify restoration targets, emergency logging, restoration methods, firebreaks, tree nursery plans, income projects, by-products treatment, and forest functions through eight reports and advisory meetings.Prior to this, an on-site survey was conducted jointly by the Korea Forest Service, the Regional Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, the National Forest Research Institute, and related agencies. Through satellites and drones, the boundaries of forest fire damage and the degree of forest fire damage were scientifically analyzed, and the restoration method was decided by dividing the targets according to the degree of forest fire damage.In addition, a systematic restoration plan was established according to local conditions through the operation of regional discussions, and 49% of afforestation restoration and 51% of natural restoration were decided. Finally, I would like to talk about the research plan that the National Institute of Forest Science will carry out based on these achievements and tasks.First, we will flexibly improve the restoration criteria according to the type of forest fire damaged area and refine the Restoration Decision Flow so that decision-making can be made quickly by automating the decision system.In addition, we will promote a 100-year long-term monitoring study to investigate the process of restoring the ecosystem of forest fire damaged areas. Based on the research results over the past 27 years, we will develop restoration technologies that enhance the resilience of forest fire damaged area by utilizing advanced technologies such as satellites, drones, and sensor networking and strengthening cooperative research in a wide range of fields.Finally, we will promote research to develop broad-leaved forest afforestation technology in fire forest damaged areas and proper placement technology for firebreaks.The NIFoS will continue to make efforts to restore scientific forests that are resistant to forest fires and reflect economic, social, and environmental values through long-term monitoring and technology development.Thank you.

Program 7. Promote the use of wood-based on the optimized processing technologyThis program intends to increase and nurture the utilization of domestic woods and its industry following cutting-edge technologies in the BT, NT, IT convergence, advancement of the respective process by building net-neutrality society and promoting strategic researches in the wood industry□ Major outcomes7-1 Expansion of the demand for wood to revitalize the wood industry ·Research data sheets containing standardized metadata and DMP (Data Management Plan) were designed for sharing and recycling research data. The wood properties of 45 items in 10 fields were evaluated for major domestic wood species (20 species over 5 years), and the DB was established. ·The LCI DB reflecting the process characteristics of the fiberboard and Particle Board is established and registered as national approval statistics. A revision to all 15 wooden products' notices was prepared, and 284 (3 years) cases of Korean industrial standards for wood products in connection with R&D were enacted.·In order to promote the socio-cultural value of wood, the types of wood culture are classified, and three strategies (standardisation, valuation, daily life) and detailed action plans are established for the spread of wood culture. Priorities for each of the three major areas for the spread of wood culture are determined through expert advice and surveys on detailed action plans.7-2 Advanced processing technology to improve the added value of wood ·The shear resistance of the lateral force resisting wall using larch cross laminated timber(CLT) and structural particle board was evaluated. Based on this, the structural performance of walls and floors using domestic engineering wood was verified.·In order to improve dimensional stability and decay resistance of wood, novel agents for chemical modification were investigated and the feasibility of commercial technologies such as acetylation and furfurylation for domestic species was verified. In addition, the wood composite buoy containing 65% wood were developed as an alternative to plastic buoys for shellfish aquaculture.·The constructability were evaluated through on-site construction using domestic structural particleboard (SPB). The SPB satisfied the flame retardant regulation and showed outstanding anti-mould and termite resistance performance. Also, long-term outdoor exposure test of SPB is ongoing for evaluating weatherability. Basic data have been secured for pilot manufacturing of the domestic self-tapping screw (STS) for the connection of CLT and preparing structural design standards for use.7-3 Development of future materials based on wood with convergence technology·A novel technology was developed for manufacturing pulp-based eco-friendly superabsorbent materials that exhibited up to four times higher water absorption capacity (over 800 g/g) than the commercially petrochemical-based superabsorbent materials (SAPs). ·A study to optimise chemical preprocessing in the mass production of cellulose nanofibres was conducted, and a study on the application of using air filters, chemical bonding, and pH sensors was conducted.·The methodology of analysis experiments as a means of managing the standards and the quality of wood products is an important topic, and the development of standard materials as well as pretreatment techniques for determining inorganic elements in wood products is major research to promote forest policies and achieve academic findings related to the wood industry.·Since the use of oxidative complexing agents in molded charcoal has been prohibited since 2024, it is urgent to develop alternative materials that meet the needs of the public's eye level and related industries.7-4 Expansion of carbon storage and replacement effect with wood use ·Among the green building certification indicators, we propose an evaluation method using the entire process evaluation tool of wooden architecture. To extend the service life of wooden building, chemical modification techniques have been developed to improve the durability of wood. For realizing wooden multi-unit residual buildings in Korea, sound insulation performance for CLT and hybrid floor structures are carefully evaluated and analyzed in order to meets the Housing Act of Korea. Through this, a basic plan for a pilot model of urban wood-made facilities and buildings was established. ·In order to analyse the technology industry linkage analysis and carbon substitution effects of wood products replacing the non-wood market, an environmental input-output table is prepared using the interindustry relations table and greenhouse gas inventory. Improving the processing technology of wood to conduct a survey on the actual condition of drying processing with low energy production process.·The conditions for producing industrial bio-materials using a wood-based bio-compounds with a rapid hydrothermal reaction are investigated. And the graphitization conditions via carbonization of lignin-dominant reaction by-products are studied to find out the availability of biomass oriented carbons as electrode materials in energy storage device.

Program 6. Forestry income increase and utilizing industrialization by using forest bioresourcesThe National Institute of Forest Sciences establishes the bases for collection, evaluation, and conservation of resources, securing original technology for medicinal and daily life materials, developing technologies for cultivation and management of resources. This allows us to build an industrial materialization platform for forest bioresources, discovering its functionality and creating a new variety of resources, cultivating, distributing and processing a post-harvest.□ Major outcomes6-1 Research on the establishment for application of bio-information ·Transformation-based genome editing technology for forest trees was developed in the agenda 'Research on the bioinformatical application for forest bioresources' through the subproject 'Establishment of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing in forest trees', and the hybrid poplars reduced lignin content were generated. Our results demonstrate that genome editing technology can improve production of lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock for biosaterials. To overcome regulatory restrictions for GMOs and enhance the performance, it is important to develop transgene-free genome editing protocol.·"Development of virus-free plants production technology of major forest income resources" induces cultivation of superior clone propagation, income increase, and reduces production cost by verifying virus-free plants, and Rubus coreanus (Korean rasberry) tissue culture plants require future proliferation and on-site verification. ·The 'Holobiome Information-Based Study on the Development of Functional Microbe Materials for Pine Mushrooms and Gastrodia elata Blume's Productivity' has yielded useful results on the discovery of functional microorganisms and plant-microbe interactions, and a phased study is needed to investigate the empirical effects. ·‘The Genetic information construction of Forest Bioresources and Development of Biological fingerprint analysis technology’ developed species identification analysis and applied to establish scientific forestry management stratedgy in seed harvest stand in Larix gmelinii var. olgensis. It constructed biological fingerprint information for identification of conifer timber species. This information can support for Regulation To Promote Legal Timber Trade. Henceforward, We shall construction of biological fingerprint information to identify species of broad-leaved tree in abroad.6-2 Research on identification of medicinal resources and application technologies ·Research on the exploration of anti-inflammatory substances and pharmacological mechanisms of the Korean Rhamnaceae requires study on industrial technology transfer and practical use of the original technology derived from research results.·Research on the Breeding of Korean angelica and the establishment of standard cultivation techniques for medicinal herbs needs to promote specific cultivation and breeding techniques that can directly affect an increase in income for foresters who grow medicinal herbs.·The research on the effect of improving bone metabolism in Poria cocos requires a research strategy for the practical use of industrialised raw materials through an exploratory study on the effect of improving bone metabolism on strains with excellent production. Research on plant oil refining to improve respiratory diseases needs to promote studies such as ease of supply of raw materials, extraction costs, and duration of oil refining activities in order to industrialize materials.·A research on the standardization of the pharmacological efficacy-based quality of wild-simulated ginseng requires a study on the reproducibility of the technology of root age using transcriptome and country of origin using metabolome.·Research on natural materials of forest medicinal resources needs to actively utilise forest policy support for research outcomes, and it is also necessary to focus research on herbal and medicinal products and seek ways to find out early performance.6-3 Research on discovery and application of functional lifecare materials·The Mugunghwa research project needs to be focused on improving the ornamental function in the follow-up project.·Means for development in the Hanji research field should be established by using the results on the research of Hanji and the source tree specices.·It is necessary to carry out an industrialisation-based study through this research and the development of a follow-up study for skin regeneration via evergreen oak trees. ·For the development of hair health-care materials, lead tree species should be selected in consideration of the ease of supply of raw materials. ·Research on the production of fine mulberry trees and the mechanisation process of high-quality hanji suggests the target level achieved through research and needs to be supplemented in the evaluation of hanji characteristics. ·The development of evergreen broadleaf for pet-care materials needs to be content-oriented to specify the title of it, and to set specific KPIs according to annual research performance and it also needs to be supplemented with strategies.6-4. Cultivation of forest income resources and development of management technology ·Through research on post-harvest loss reduction technology development of forest products and commercialization research, the optimal storage temperature and distribution period of hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) were identified, and the quality of storage and distribution of wild vegetables was improved through micro oil sprayed thermal air technique. We plan to publish the post-harvest manuals through field applicability evaluations in the future. ·Research on discover major sources of honey trees and use them for multiple purposes is discovering trees with high production of honey and developing various way to utilize honey resources. The empirical research on establishing a honey plant complex in response to climate change develops various complex models that can increase rental income, and establishes a supply system for excellent seedlings of honey trees. ·In order to satisfy the upcoming demand for new landscape trees as a material of urban forest and green-teriors, the tree form and flower characteristics of superior individuals in Prunus spp., dogwood and golden-rain trees were investigated and new genetic resources were collected. The effect of smart irrigation system that maintains the soil water content as 15% in the container were analyzed. It was found that sap flow, irrigation efficiency and tree growth were more excellent in smart irrigation system than the conventional semi-automatic irrigation.

Program 5. Response to new climate regime and reinforcement of international-North Korean cooperation.We are investigating climate change adaptation and impacts in forestry and developing greenhouse gas mitigation technology and policy using the forest in order to respond to the global climate crisis. Furthermore, we are providing a scientific basis for international and inter-Korean forestry cooperation strategy development by utilizing agriculture and forestry satellite. This allows us to develop climate change adaptation technology and mitigation policy in response to global issues such as new climate regime as well as strengthen the applicability of satellite technology in preparation for international and inter-Korean forestry cooperation measures.□ Major outcome5-1. Development of climate change adaptation policy and technology in forestry ·Climate change impacts were evaluated in 18 major areas of the climate change impact survey, including 7 alpine evergreen conifers, forest hydrology, forest arthropods, and forest medicinal resources through a study of climate change adaptation. Developed an assessment model and spatialisation algorithm for the carbon absorption capacity of the forest ecosystem. Established a strategy for the conservation and management of pine trees, a map of the potential production of pine trees, a map of pest and forest fire risk was established, and a growth stress risk model was developed.5-2 A Study on forest carbon sink improvement ·Based on the next-generation molecular breeding technology, molecular markers of pine trees (pinus densiflora, pinus thunbergii) were developed to early select superior resources that improved carbon absorption capacity and to set a foundation for its utilization, model development, and applicability were also evaluated. ·The research was conducted to verify the domestic applicability of mangrove forests in island coastal areas and to establish a foundation for its creation. The possibility of introducing True mangroves and Semi mangroves in Korea was explored, a potential distribution model was developed, and the environmental location and vegetation characteristics of native mangroves in Jeju were investigated.·A fixed type (8 locations including Namsan, Seoul) and mobile greenhouse gas observation system infrastructure were established and a permanent experimental site was created to present an evaluation and management alternatives for carbon dioxide absorption in urban forests based on the observation system. In addition, based on the classification of forest restoration types, the amount of biomass was calculated by developing a prediction model of carbon storage for each restoration method adopted to forest fire damaged area and carbon storage amount by damage types. ·In order to present ways to obtain carbon sinks overseas through REDD+, we analyzed and responded to the international negotiations on detailed guidelines related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and analyzed cases of bilateral cooperation system for ITMOs to express strategies and methods on the basis of bilateral REDD+ reduction performance. ·As part of a study on establishing a forest bioeconomic foundation for the transition to a 2050 carbon-neutral society, the concept of forest bioeconomic was established based on analysis of foreign cases such as the EU, Finland, and North America. In order to establish a foundation for the domestic forest bio-economy, the using system of wood resources in the region was investigated in Hongcheon and Jeju, and key measures were derived to establish the forest bio-economy based on a survey of public and expert perceptions.·As for investigating the impact of the forest ecosystem due to timber harvesting, the operating foundation for an experimental forest of forest management was co-established by the Korean Society of Forest Science and The Ecological Society of Korea, and the monitoring design for the forest dynamics was prepared for the leading forest management complex in Gari Mountain, Hongcheon.5-3 Study on international and inter-Korean forest cooperation response ·The K-SDGs goal 15 (Conservation of land ecosystem) monitored the implementation status of six indicators in the forest sector, developed a national evaluation system (proposal) for two unevaluated indicators, evaluated the implementation level, and suggested measures to support the achievement of the objectives by evaluating the level of contributions and the contribution rate of six indicators in the forest sector. We have monitored the database to improve transparency and accuracy of SDGs national reporting statistics, and derived improvements in the reporting system. ·The planting of the peatland restoration research site (10ha, Perigi) was completed, and time series land cover classification and thematic mapping of the researchsite were created. It has laid the foundation for evaluating the economic, environmental and socialvalue of peatland restoration such as evaluating the value of ecosystem services according to land use scenario in South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. ·Implementation plans for inter-Korean forest cooperation have been specified based on changes in inter-Korean relations and North Korean society. Additionally, a foundation has been established to prepare for natural disasters caused by climate change, such as estimating sediment yield in Imjin River and monitoring forest diseases and pests in the border areas. With regard to the inter-Korean joint response to the climate crisis, the possibility of REDD+ targeting North Korean forests has been confirmed, and long-term cooperation agenda including an analysis of North Korean tourism policies to prepare for inter-Korean forest tourism cooperation are being developed. 5-4 ICT A Study on the Digital Forest Management of ICT Convergence ·Developed a 3D-based digital forest implementation technology to realise the digital twin of Hongneung Forest and Mt.Gari leading forest management zone based on the convergence of ground, drone, and aerial LiDAR data. Through the pilot analysis of deadwood data from the National Forest Inventory, the necessity of managing the stem density was suggested and its carbon stocks were estimated using the wood densities and carbon factors by the decay class.·Based on mountain weather information, it produces useful information that can contribute to people's lives and safety through the results of plant phenology predictions on leaf unfolding, flowering, and autumn leaf coloration of forest tree species and the public service of the Forest Recreation Comfort Index. In addition, the forest fuel moisture observation network has been established to improve the prediction accuracy for forest fire danger rating. ·In preparation for the launch of the Agricultural and Forestry Satellite (CAS500-4) in February 2025, infrastructure is being established to receive, process, analyze, and distribute satellite information. Optimal algorithms for satellite-derived fusion products applied to the forestry sector and Algorithm Theoretical Basis Documents (ATBDs) are being developed in accordance with established plans.