The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that a pine tree in Gangdong-gu was confirmed to have pine wilt disease on July 6.
Pine wilt disease is a condition in which pine wood nematodes rapidly multiply within pine or Korean pine trees, causing them to die in a short period of time.
Once infected, the tree cannot be treated or recovered and has a 100% mortality rate.
The city explained that the location where the infected tree was found is approximately 3.7 km away from Sampa-dong in Namyangju and Choil-dong in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, where pine wilt disease had previously occurred.
The city plans to activate an emergency response system with relevant agencies, including the Korea Forest Service, and focus on blocking the spread of the disease throughout Seoul.
Authorities will conduct precise surveillance within a 5 km radius of the site where the infected tree was discovered to check for any additional cases.
In addition, the city will carry out an epidemiological investigation to analyze the cause of the infection and plans to mobilize all available administrative power and pest control resources to block the spread to surrounding areas at an early stage.
A crackdown on illegal transportation of pine trees will also be conducted.
The city explained that anyone caught moving pine trees without a certificate of non-infection or bringing in pine trees suspected of being infected without authorization can face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won under the Special Act on the Control of Pine Wilt Disease.
Kim Young-hwan, Director of the Garden City Bureau of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "We will do our best to detect infected trees early and block the spread through swift response and close cooperation with relevant agencies." He added, "We ask citizens to report immediately if they see abnormal symptoms, such as pine trees suddenly withering and dying, and to refrain from moving pine trees without authorization."
(Photo courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yonhap News)