President Lee Taps Internal Candidate as New Forestry Chief

President Lee Jae-myung appointed Park Eun-sik, the current vice administrator of the Korea Forest Service, as the new chief of the agency on Tuesday.

Park, born in 1970, graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in forestry and earned both master's and doctoral degrees in forest resources from the same institution. He previously served as deputy secretary-general of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), director of international forestry cooperation, and director-general of forest industry policy at the Korea Forest Service.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong described Park as "an expert with extensive experience and expertise in forest policy." Kang added that Park "has been recognized for his excellent ability to coordinate opinions among various stakeholders, including local governments, forestry workers, and environmental groups, based on his smooth communication skills."

The spokesperson further noted that Park is "the right person to lead innovation at the Korea Forest Service, with thorough wildfire prevention measures, enhanced rapid response capabilities, and deep understanding and expertise in overall forest policy."

Former Forest Service chief Kim In-ho was dismissed on Jan. 21 following a drunk driving incident. Kang stated that "the Forest Service appointment was prioritized because it is closely related to public safety."

The spring wildfire alert period runs from Jan. 20 to May 15, and there had been calls to quickly fill the position to prepare for potential large-scale fires.