Three agencies sign MOU to build native plant supply system for ecological restoration

The Korea Environment Corporation signed an MOU with the Korea Forest Service and the Korea National Arboretum on Tuesday at the arboretum's headquarters in Sejong, aimed at boosting the supply of native plants and improving the efficiency of ecological restoration projects.

The agreement was drawn up to address climate change and declining biodiversity, and to establish a stable system for producing, supplying and deploying native plants needed for large-scale ecological restoration projects led by the Korea Environment Corporation.

The three agencies will cooperate on improving the policy regime to promote restoration using native plants, building a production and supply system for restoration-grade native plants along with technology support, applying native plants at restoration sites, and spreading awareness of the value of native-plant-based ecological restoration.

Under the arrangement, the Korea Forest Service will handle policy and regulatory support, the Korea National Arboretum will oversee production, quality control and technical assistance, and the Korea Environment Corporation will focus on field application and public outreach.

In particular, the Korea Environment Corporation will assess demand for native plants needed for projects including the Janghang National Wetland Restoration Project, the Four Major Rivers Riparian Ecological Belt and the development-restricted zone restoration project, and will deploy the supplied plants at restoration sites.

Through this collaboration, the three agencies plan to build an integrated system linking native plant production through to field application.

Starting this year with demand surveys and supply infrastructure development at restoration project sites, the agencies plan to pursue production, propagation and quality management of restoration-grade native plants from 2027 to 2028, with full-scale field supply set to begin in 2029.

Through this phased cooperation, the agencies aim to resolve supply-demand imbalances in native plants and enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of ecosystem restoration using locally sourced native species.

"This agreement is significant in that it lays a cooperative foundation connecting the entire process — from native plant production to field application at restoration sites," Korea Environment Corporation President Shin Jin-su said. "Starting with the Janghang National Wetland Restoration Project, we will expand the use of native plants to improve the quality and sustainability of national ecological restoration."