• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.96 no.3
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• pp.269-282
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes of the dramatic process in forest policies from July of 1972 to June of 1973. In 1972, the core forest problem calling for an immediate solution was the severe forest degradation such as a low growing stock ($11m^3/ha$) and lots of non-tree forest land corresponding to 12% of total forest land. There could have been various approaches to solve the problem at that time. By the end of 1972, the Korean government was afoot to choose the management-oriented approach to carry out reforestation as a part of forest management. In order to implement this approach, the Korean government established the Forest Development Law enforcing establishment of the Forest Management Corporation as a public organization to carry out forest management in the special development land. However, the Korean government changed the management-oriented approach into the administration-oriented approach to carry out reforestation as a part of forest greening in order to rehabilitate severe degraded forests as soon as possible in early 1973. The Forestry Administration (refer to Forest Service) was transferred from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Interior for the efficient rehabilitation in advance, before the 1st 10-year National Greening Project. After the organization's transfer, the government established the 1 st 10-year National Greening Project aiming to reforest one million ha from 1973 to 1982 to use activities like the national greening campaign and the administrative organization mobilization including police force. Reforestation policy as a part of forest management lost effect due to the greening-oriented approach choice. Moreover, the Government struggled to provide 20 billion won for the establishment of the Forest Management Corporation. After all, on March 5th of 1973, the management-oriented approach dropped a curtain deleting the clauses defining the establishment of the Forest Management Corporation. Park, Chung-hee who was the then president of Korea might have felt the 'time restriction' to lose no time to habilitate degraded forests. Due to his awareness, the approach regarding reforestation was changed into administration-oriented activities. The president's awareness was considered as an invisible cause at that time.