Conflicts between Traditional and the General Public Uses for the Forest Common Property in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

"The practices of sap collection by mountain villagers in the southern part of Korea are surveyed and the current status and problems are dealt with in this paper. The sap collection from birch trees by local people has a long tradition among the mountain villagers. With rising attention to natural foods believed to be good for health in association to the increasing demand for tourism to recreational areas fueled by the economic growth, the sap collected form birch is now regarded as one of a major income sources for the mountain villagers.

"The central government of South Korea has designated a part of the Baekwoon Mountain as a national ecosystem conservation reserve, which will in effect impose restrictions on the use of forest resources within the designated regions by the local residents including the sap collection. This will bring about conflicts between the central government and local people amount the use of common properties in the forest. The authors will investigate the concerns of the residents against the interests of the general public of the nation."