Gyeonggi Province Launches Emergency Control of Oak Wilt Disease

Gyeonggi Province announced on the 3rd that it plans to launch emergency control measures as oak wilt disease cases have surged across 15 cities and counties in the province.

Oak wilt disease was first discovered in 2004 affecting approximately 10,000 trees, including those at Ibae Pass in Seongnam, and was found in 10,000 trees again last year. However, as of September this year, damage has been reported in 107,000 trees.

By region, damage includes 33,000 trees in Goyang, 20,000 in Hanam, 17,000 in Gwangju, and 14,000 in Seongnam, among areas affected by oak wilt disease.

Accordingly, the province plans to invest 730 million won targeting severely affected areas among the 15 cities and counties, implementing emergency control measures on 15,000 trees by the end of this year.

A provincial official stated, "Since this disease was discovered relatively recently, its causes and treatment methods have not yet been clearly identified," adding, "We will focus control efforts on felling heavily infected trees."

Oak wilt disease is caused by fungal growth of the oak ambrosia beetle, which blocks water flow and kills oak trees. It primarily affects oak species with thin bark such as Korean oak and oriental white oak, with reported mortality rates reaching 10–25%.