Korea is famous for its diverse forests. There are a number of recreational forests across the nation and unique programs using woodlands, such as ecotourism and healing forests. Now the nation is exporting those forest-related programs to Indonesia, one of the world’s most natural resource-rich countries. Following are excerpts from an interview with Korea Forest Service Minister Shin Won-sop about this project.

Korea Herald: Korea and Indonesia concluded an MOU on cooperation in recreational forests and ecotourism during their summit this month. What led the two countries to reach this agreement?

Shin Won-sop: Indonesia is Korea’s largest partner in forest resources including investment in plantations, conservation of tropical forests and forest biomass. During the Korea-Indonesia forest cooperation committee meeting in Jakarta in July, Indonesian Forest Minister Zulkifli Hasan expressed his hope for the introduction of Korean-style recreational forests like the one on Mount Cheongtaesan and ecotourism in his country’s forest preservation areas.

The Korea Forest Service has developed forest-related content, such as natural recreation forests and healing forests, and supported eco villages in mountains. So we decided to expand cooperation with Indonesia to export those forest policies to the Southeast Asian country with abundant tropical forest resources.

KH: What are the major agreements in the MOU signed between the two countries?

Shin: This MOU is designed to help Indonesia activate recreational forests and ecotourism in its forest-preservation regions.

The regions where the project will be implemented included Bali, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara and “Sentul Model Forest” near Jakarta, which was developed with support from Korea.

In those Indonesian regions, such projects include mapping out a master plan to activate recreational forests and ecotourism, forging sisterhood relationships between national parks and natural recreational forests, devising business plans to support local communities, and exchanging experts and holding seminars and workshops.

KH: It is expected that the Sentul Model Forest will play a key role in bilateral cooperation in recreational forest and ecotourism. Can you introduce the Sentul Model Forest to our readers?

Shin: The Sentul complex is 630 hectares in size and 40 minutes from Jakarta by car. The Indonesian Forest Ministry and its public corporation, in cooperation with our Korea Forestry Service, are promoting recreational forest and ecotourism as a new forestry welfare model.

In July this year, the Indonesian government opened a 30-hectare “Eco-Edu Forest” in the Sentul complex, and in the future will establish the Korea-Indonesia Friendship Forest, eco-research forest and eco recreational forest. The Sentul complex will be developed into a foothold for recreational forests and ecotourism in Indonesia. Also it will be a business model that will help increase income of local communities.

KH: What is meaningful about the cooperative projects on recreational forest and ecotourism promoted by the two countries? And what are their economic effects?

Shin: It is meaningful in that the two countries expanded their cooperation from forest resources to recreational forest and ecotourism.

Through bilateral cooperation, I think, Indonesia’s local economy will be revitalized and its government will be able to provide forest-related services to its people. The cooperation is expected to create a synergy effect on various forest-related projects Korea is promoting in Indonesia. Also I expect that the cooperation will help Korean companies advance into Indonesia’s recreational forests and ecotourism.

KH: Please tell us about the history of cooperation in forestry between Korea and Indonesia.

Shin: The cooperation started with an investment by a Korean company in Indonesia’s forest in 1968. Since 1979, the two countries have held 21 rounds of meetings related to forestry cooperation. The two governments have held a forest forum nine times since 2007. Through these meetings, the two countries have cooperated in forest plantations and tropical forest preservation.

KH: Can you explain about Korea’s forest plantation project in Indonesia?

Shin: Korean companies have made investments in 700,000 hectares for forest plantations in Indonesia. Under the 2006 MOU with Indonesia, Korea was given 500,000 hectares to secure a stable supply of lumber resources and to cope with climate change. About 200,000 hectares were added through the 2009 MOU.

At present, forest plantations were made in 94,000 hectares and a process for permission on development of another 260,000 hectares is underway.

Through this cooperative project, our country can secure timber resources while Indonesia can draw investments and reactivate its biomass industry.

KH: What does Korea Forest Service do to preserve tropical forest and secure certified emission reductions?

Shin: Korea Forest Service is promoting the “REDD+” project in cooperation with Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry for tropical forest preservation and securing carbon emission rights. REDD+ refers to global activities to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries.

Under a joint project, Korea Forest Service and the Indonesian government will invest 3.37 billion won and 850 million won, respectively, from 2012 to 2019 in 14,000 hectares in Sumatra to prevent deforestation and secure carbon emission rights there.

KH: What is the role of the Korea-Indonesia Forest Center?

Shin: KIFC launched its operation in October 2010. Its office is in the Forestry Ministry of Indonesia. The organization was established to implement projects related to forestry cooperation between the two countries, to operate a tree nursery and to support investment companies.

Major business included management and evaluation of the cooperative projects between the two countries, investment support for forestry resources developments related to climate change and finding new forestry businesses.

By Lee Kwon-hyung (kwonhl@heraldcorp.com)