Vietnam, Korea inaugurates new phase of comprehensive forestry cooperation

On the morning of August 8, as part of his working trip to the Republic of Korea, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam Tran Duc Thang held a meeting with Mr. Lim Sang-seop, Minister of the Korea Forest Service (KFS), to discuss directions for bilateral forestry cooperation in the coming period.

At the meeting, Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang expressed his pleasure at the warm and thoughtful welcome extended by Minister Lim Sang-seop and his colleagues at the Korea Forest Service. As this was his first working trip as Acting Minister, he particularly valued the opportunity to engage directly with the KFS leadership.

Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang emphasized that the relationship between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Korea Forest Service is not merely a professional collaboration, but also a close and sincere partnership. This has been demonstrated through the practical and effective support provided in implementing joint projects, especially following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in June 2023. He expressed his hope that this meeting would open a new chapter in strengthening the ties between the two ministries and further promoting forestry cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of the Korea Forest Service affirmed his full agreement with Vietnam’s position. He also expressed his hope that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment would continue to provide guidance and support to ensure the high effectiveness of joint projects.

Mr. Lim Sang-seop also highlighted the REDD+ program, a cooperative initiative between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as an important starting point, and called on the Vietnamese side to facilitate conditions for the project to be completed on schedule.

During the meeting, Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang highly valued the cooperation programs supported by the KFS and pledged Vietnam’s best efforts in implementing these projects. He noted that Vietnam and the Republic of Korea are comprehensive strategic partners with many similarities, and that Korea is a model country in forestry development, possessing valuable experience in sustainable forest management and climate change adaptation. Vietnam wishes to learn from these experiences to not only increase its forest coverage rate but also improve the livelihoods of around five million people whose incomes depend on forests.

Minister Lim Sang-seop suggested that, to strengthen cooperation, the two sides should hold regular meetings and maintain frequent information exchanges. He recalled Korea’s experience in post-war forest restoration, noting that mangrove rehabilitation has proven to be an effective approach, especially when combined with aquaculture development and livelihood support for local communities. In addition, he highlighted that Vietnam could leverage its natural resources to develop eco-tourism, thereby preserving forests while increasing incomes.

The KFS also proposed expanding cooperation in mangrove restoration, actively participating in the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFOCO) initiative, and promoting legal timber trade. Korea currently has five ecological parks and hopes to deepen collaboration in this field, while also requesting Vietnam to supply mangrove seedlings for pilot planting. Minister Lim further shared Korea’s experience in using satellite technology for forest monitoring since 2016, noting that if successfully applied in Vietnam, it could help reduce costs and improve management efficiency.

Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang welcomed these proposals, noting that Vietnam is the world’s second-largest exporter of timber and wood products, with an annual export value of USD 17–18 billion. The country ensures the legality of its timber sources through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed with demanding markets such as the United States, the European Union, and Japan. Vietnam looks forward to continued close cooperation with KFS, particularly in satellite data sharing, digital transformation, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in forest management, human resource development, and collaboration on forest carbon credits.

Concluding the meeting, Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang extended a cordial invitation to Minister Lim Sang-seop and his KFS colleagues to visit and work in Vietnam, to witness firsthand the results of their cooperation and jointly set directions for upcoming programs in the 2026–2030 period.

History and development of the Korea Forest Service

The Korea Forest Service, a ministerial-level agency under the Government of the Republic of Korea, was established in 1967 in the wake of severe forest degradation following the war. Over the past six decades, KFS has played a pivotal role in forest restoration, transforming Korea into one of the countries with the highest forest cover in Asia.

The period from 1970 to 1990 marked a crucial phase for large-scale reforestation programs, notably the National Reforestation Movement, which re-greened barren land and denuded hillsides while restoring forests’ ecological functions. To date, Korea has planted more than 11 billion trees, achieving a forest cover rate of over 64%, equivalent to 6.3 million hectares.

Today, KFS is recognized internationally as a successful model for forest restoration and serves as the lead agency in implementing forestry strategies aligned with green growth and climate change adaptation.