Searching for the Inter-Korean Forest Cooperation Considering Forest Restoration Strategy and limits of Kim Jong-un Era : Focusing on Literature Review and Experts Interview

Abstract

This paper aims to propose ways for forest cooperation between South Korea and North Korea that can enhance congruence between South Korea’s intention to build a peaceful unification base and North Korea’s practical needs. To this end, this paper first examines North Korea’s forest restoration strategy in the Kim Jong-un era and summarizes its key features as increasing forest resources under the self-power first principle, enhancing forest management technology, and strengthening propaganda and control over people under ‘Kim Jong-il patriotism’. During this process, the North Korean authority strongly depend on the public mobilization method. Yet, in a situation where central distribution power has weakened and marketization has spread, people’s active cooperation is hardly found. Moreover, difficulty in procuring external goods due to tightened sanctions by the international community and COVID-19 have negative effects on the strategies. Per this analysis, this paper argues that various ways such as developing projects of mutual investment, a packaging business of resource exchange and technological support, projects for human development and knowledge sharing, and providing economic incentives to North Koreans should be considered as ways for forest cooperation. In-depth interviews with South Korean experts and North Korean refugee experts were actively utilized in conducting this research.