• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.96 no.3
• /
• pp.325-337
• /
• 2007

Illegal slash-and-bum fields and slash-and-bum farmers in Korea had increased in spite of Japanese Joseon Government's strong regulations and clearance measures, and land reform after the 1945 Liberation of Korea until 1970s. This study is to inquire into the necessary and sufficient conditions to disappear entirely the matters from 1974 to 1979 that illegal slash-and-bum fields and slash-and-burn farmers continued long in existence until the early 1970s. The findings are as follows; Firstly, the population pressure to agricultural lands that main factor of generation of illegal slash-and-bum fields had decreased rapidly because the rural populations and less income farmers have decreased after 1967. Especially, the decrease of the rural populations had never seen to the 1970s. It is recognised that the social condition for the success in 1970s. Secondly, the continuous economic growth from the early 1960s enabled the Korean government to solve the matter through the sufficient financial investment from the Government. For example, the gross national product (GNP) and the government budget in 1974 increased around 25 times after 1960. It is recognised that the economic condition for the success in 1970s. Finally, it was enabled to remove the concealment from the slash-and-bum farmers and to monitor illegal re-cultivation thoroughly because the development of forest inventory technique using an aerial photograph and the expansion of road facilities. It is recognised that the technical condition for the success in the 1970s.