Another round of pine wilt extermination efforts has begun. All 290,000 of the remaining infested trees will be cut down. Officials aim to finish the process by next April. Analysts say the local government must secure enough funding this time to avoid past mistakes. Mike Balfour has more.
This is a pine forest in (노형동) Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City. The pine needles are reddish brown.

The trees have succumbed to pine wilt and withered. Withered pine trees are found everywhere on the island, on and around oreums and countryside.

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Officials aim to cut down 290,000 trees by April

Officials aim to cut 290,000 dead trees in total by next April; 150,000 by the end of this year and 140,000 from January through April, 2016.

The extermination of pine wilt-infested trees in the island’s gotjawal forests will be conducted using nets for the first time, in order to minimize natural damage.

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Nets to be used to minimize natural damage in ‘gotjawal’

Cut logs will be blanketed with tightly woven nets to remove Japanese pine sawyers which are known to spread pine wilt.

[INTERVIEW]
Seo Seung-wan / Provincial forest conservation office
We’re cutting down all of the dead pine trees and minimizing damage by using tree injections and non-aerial spraying.
< 서승완 / 제주도 산림보존담당 >
훼손을 최소화하면서도 고사목은 전량 베어내는 방침으로 갈 것이고 나무주사나 지상방제를 확대 추진해 나갈 것입니다.

The island has dealt with pine wilt since 2012. Another battle against the disease has begun this year. But there are a few challenges ahead.

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Inaccurate estimates blamed for failure to stop infestation

There was a discrepancy of 200,000 between the estimated number of withered trees and the actual number of trees cut down last year.

Faulty initial surveys were blamed for the failure in preventing pine wilt.

[INTERVIEW]
Hong Yeong-cheol / ‘Solidarity for Participatory Self-Government’
There was a big gap in the estimated number of withered trees and the number of trees that were actually cut down. Scientific estimates are needed.
< 홍영철 / 제주참여환경연대 대표 >
애초 (지난해) 10월경 예측한 것과 실제 나중에 방제된 본수가 상당히 많이 차이났는데 이런 것을 과학적으로 예측하는 게 필요합니다.

[camera]
Moon Ho-seong

Critics say that the island’s current strategy to remove infested pine should be reviewed.
They argue that it’s hard to contain the disease efficiently if the island sticks to the current plan due to a limited workforce and budget.

[INTERVIEW]
Nakamura Katsunori / Researcher, Japanese Forest Research Institute
I believe that, because of limited funding and labor, it’s wiser for the island to choose and focus on important pine forests that should really be protected.
< 나카무라 가츠노리 / 일본 삼림종합연구소 박사 >
한정된 예산과 인력으로 방제를 성공시키려면 지켜야 할 송림을 선정해 방제 노력을 집중하는 방법을 택해야 한다고 생각합니다.

[reporter]
Mike Balfour

The national funding of 27 billion won for exterminating withered trees has yet to be secured. The bumpy road toward the eradication of pine wilt is expected to continue.

Mike Balfour KCTV