Deforestation · 2001–2025
Deforestation in South Korea
Since 2001, South Korea has lost about 436,000 hectares of forest (about 4,400 km²): 8.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 67,300 hectares (15%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest in 2000
- 5.31 million ha
- Forest lost since 2001
- 436,000 ha8.2% of it, about 4,400 km²
- Cleared for good
- 67,300 hadeforestation, 15% of the loss
- Worst year
- 202587,000 ha lost
Map
Where South Korea has lost forest
Every square kilometre of South Korea as satellites saw it from 2000 to 2025. Yellow and green were forest; red to white marks where it has been lost since 2001, and when.
- Forest cover in 2000
- 0%25%50%75%100%How much of the land was forest: dark purple had little or none, yellow was dense forest.
- Year the forest was lost
- 200120132025Where forest was cut down, burned or cleared since 2001: red for the early years, through orange, to white for the most recent. Solid where a fifth or more of a place's forest went, fainter where 8% or more did.
- Cities
- The capital (the larger dot) and the biggest cities, to help you find your way.
Year by year
Forest lost in South Korea, year by year
Forest loss is speeding up: about 33,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 21,100 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 87,000 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1,140 ha | 4,320 ha | 5,470 ha |
| 2002 | 997 ha | 3,680 ha | 4,680 ha |
| 2003 | 954 ha | 2,630 ha | 3,590 ha |
| 2004 | 2,790 ha | 8,560 ha | 11,300 ha |
| 2005 | 2,200 ha | 6,670 ha | 8,870 ha |
| 2006 | 2,830 ha | 7,240 ha | 10,100 ha |
| 2007 | 2,380 ha | 5,650 ha | 8,030 ha |
| 2008 | 4,610 ha | 9,320 ha | 13,900 ha |
| 2009 | 4,000 ha | 12,300 ha | 16,300 ha |
| 2010 | 3,480 ha | 10,900 ha | 14,300 ha |
| 2011 | 2,680 ha | 8,880 ha | 11,600 ha |
| 2012 | 3,800 ha | 12,000 ha | 15,800 ha |
| 2013 | 1,570 ha | 7,850 ha | 9,420 ha |
| 2014 | 2,130 ha | 11,200 ha | 13,400 ha |
| 2015 | 2,330 ha | 14,900 ha | 17,300 ha |
| 2016 | 3,010 ha | 19,400 ha | 22,400 ha |
| 2017 | 2,740 ha | 17,900 ha | 20,600 ha |
| 2018 | 2,660 ha | 19,100 ha | 21,800 ha |
| 2019 | 2,140 ha | 18,500 ha | 20,600 ha |
| 2020 | 2,110 ha | 17,900 ha | 20,100 ha |
| 2021 | 1,950 ha | 15,300 ha | 17,200 ha |
| 2022 | 1,930 ha | 23,700 ha | 25,600 ha |
| 2023 | 2,260 ha | 19,300 ha | 21,500 ha |
| 2024 | 2,000 ha | 13,600 ha | 15,600 ha |
| 2025 | 8,610 ha | 78,400 ha | 87,000 ha |
The satellite method improved in 2011, so compare recent years with each other rather than with the 2000s. Hover over or tap a year for its figures.
Causes
What is causing deforestation in South Korea?
- 15%cleared for good (deforestation)
- 74%can grow back (fire, logging, storms)
- 11%cause unknown
- Logging70% · 304,000 ha
Can grow back. Trees cut for timber or paper. The land usually stays forest and grows back.
- Towns and roads12% · 52,000 ha
Cleared for good. Forest replaced by houses, buildings and roads.
- Wildfires4.3% · 18,900 ha
Can grow back. Forest burned. It often grows back, though fire is sometimes used to clear land for good.
- Mining and energy2.1% · 9,310 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for mines, oil and gas, power lines and dams.
- Farms, pasture and plantations1.4% · 5,950 ha
Cleared for good. Forest cleared for crops, cattle pasture or tree plantations: the biggest cause of deforestation in the world.
- Unknown causes11% · 46,200 ha
Cause unknown. The satellites saw the trees go, but not why.
Also, each under 1%: storms, floods and other natural causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Is all forest loss deforestation?
No. When forest is cleared for farms, mines or towns, it is gone for good: that is deforestation. When it is logged or burned, it usually grows back. We count both as forest lost, but only the first as deforestation, so a country with a bad fire year isn't shown as clearing its forest for good.
Provinces that lost the most
| Province | Forest lost | Share of its forest | Cleared for good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyeongsangbuk-do | 118,000 ha | 10% | 16,800 ha |
| Gangwon-do | 91,200 ha | 6.4% | 9,810 ha |
| Jeollabuk-do | 46,000 ha | 12% | 1,770 ha |
| Jeollanam-do | 38,600 ha | 7.7% | 2,920 ha |
| North Chungcheong | 38,600 ha | 9.4% | 4,860 ha |
| Chungcheongnam-do | 38,100 ha | 15% | 3,350 ha |
| Gyeonggi-do | 31,700 ha | 8.3% | 15,400 ha |
| Gyeongsangnam-do | 26,200 ha | 4.5% | 7,500 ha |
| Ulsan | 2,960 ha | 5.2% | 2,050 ha |
| Jeju-do | 2,030 ha | 2.3% | 1,590 ha |
| Sejong-si | 1,980 ha | 14% | 569 ha |
| Daejeon | 432 ha | 3.9% | 204 ha |
Cities that lost the most forest around them
Forest lost within 10 km of each city centre since 2001.
Satellite timelapses of cities in South Korea
A satellite photo a year since 2017, with the forest lost marked on it, and the figures for each city.
Frequently asked
Questions about deforestation in South Korea
How much forest has South Korea lost since 2001?
Since 2001, South Korea has lost about 436,000 hectares of forest (about 4,400 km²): 8.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 67,300 hectares (15%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
Is deforestation in South Korea getting worse?
Forest loss is speeding up: about 33,400 hectares a year in 2021–2025, up from 21,100 hectares a year in 2016–2020. These are five-year averages from 2011 on, the years the satellite maps were all made the same way.
What is causing deforestation in South Korea?
The main causes of forest loss since 2001 are logging (70%), towns and roads (12%), wildfires (4.3%). About 67,300 hectares was deforestation, meaning forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
What was the worst year for forest loss in South Korea?
The worst year was 2025, when about 87,000 hectares of forest were lost.
How is forest loss measured?
We use satellite maps from the University of Maryland (Hansen and colleagues) that show, for every 30 × 30 m patch of land on Earth, the year its trees were cut down, burned or died, from 2001 to 2025. We add up those patches in South Korea, counting only places that were at least 30% covered by trees in 2000. The cause of each loss comes from a map made by the World Resources Institute and Google DeepMind. All figures are estimates.