Gongju City Faces Allegations of Shoddy Pine Wilt Control, Raising Spread Concerns

Gongju City in South Chungcheong Province is proceeding with its pine wilt disease control project, but concerns are rising that basic control measures have not been observed in the process of handling infected trees, potentially increasing the risk of the disease spreading.

Felled infected trees were transported outside the forest, through residential areas, to a site approximately 2km away. They were then left uncovered and unattended for an extended period near Yugu Stream in Yugu-eup, Gongju City. Critics point out that transporting infected logs through residential areas and piling them by the stream raises concerns about environmental pollution and secondary infections. Residents are criticizing the situation as 'neglect, not control.'

A Gongju City official explained that they had no choice but to collect the infected logs for processing due to difficulties in securing large-scale shredding equipment and geographical limitations. The plan is to shred the collected logs into wood chips for removal. Shredding operations are scheduled to commence on November 30.