The BIOSYS delegation visited Gangwon State in South Korea as part of a project and successfully completed the mission
By Daesung Lee
All the representative organizations from the Gangwon region extended exceptional hospitality to the BIOSYS delegation.
During the visit to the Gangwon region, the delegation toured the Korea Forest Manager Association in Pyeongchang on 17 November 2024. They had a productive meeting with President Jung-Hee Park and associated members, including Prof. Hee Han from Seoul National University, Drs. Yoon-Seong Chang and Jin-Taek Kang from the National Institute of Forest Science, and Prof. Young-Hwan Kim from Pusan National University.
BIOSYS photo from the meeting with the Korea Forest Manager Association. Photo: Jung-Hee Park, Korea Forest Manager Association
Additionally, they held an academic meeting with Kangwon National University in Chuncheon. Prof. Jung-Kee Choi, Prof. Nam-Jin Noh, and Prof. Eun-Ju Cheong from Kangwon National University, President Nam-Hun Kim from the Gangwon Regional Association of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST), and Dr. Kyung-Nam Kim from Gangwon Research Institute attended the meeting. Together, they discussed academic and regional cooperation between North Karelia and Gangwon.
BIOSYS photo from the meeting with Kangwon National University. Photo: Jung-Kee Choi, Kangwon National University
On November 18, 2024, the Kangwon Domin Ilbo newspaper and Gangwon State hosted the BIOSYS delegation at an international symposium focused on cooperation between North Karelia, Finland, and Gangwon State, Korea. The event was successfully conducted with a keynote speech by Mr. Markus Hirvonen, Regional Mayor of North Karelia, followed by presentations from Dr. Jutta Kauppi, Dr. Erkki Verkasalo, Prof. Jouni Pykäläinen, and Ms. Katri Rusanen. Additionally, the BIOSYS delegation gained extensive knowledge and insights about Korean forestry and forest society by listening to presentations from the Korean side and participating in the panel discussion.
BIOSYS photo from the Global Forest Cooperation International Symposium between North Karelia and Gangwon. Photo: Ji-Eun Park, Kangwon Domin Ilbo newspaper company
BIOSYS photo from the Global Forest Cooperation International Symposium between North Karelia and Gangwon. Photo: Ji-Eun Park, Kangwon Domin Ilbo newspaper company
Lastly, the delegation visited the Chuncheon Wood Cooperative as their final stop, hosted by CEO Kwang-Ho Han, director Dr. Wae-Jung Kim, and many other associated members. They participated in a field trip where they observed ongoing wood manufacturing techniques on-site. They also saw state-of-the-art pre-cut machinery and learned about strategies to find a niche market in the region.
BIOSYS photo from the meeting with Chuncheon Wood Cooperative. Photo: Wae-Jung Kim, Chuncheon Wood Cooperative
A special thank you goes to Jung-Hee Park, Ji-Eun Park, Jung-Kee Choi, and Wae-Jung Kim from each organization for their impeccable coordination.
The BIOSYS North Karelia International Growth Ecosystem is run by Natural Resources Institute Finland / Luonnonvarakeskus as a project lead, the Regional Council of North Karelia Pohjois-Karjalan maakuntaliitto, University of Eastern Finland and MKN Itä-Suomi | Rural Women´s Advisory Centre (RWAC) of Eastern Finland. The project is funded by Renewing and Competent Finland 2021–2027, EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme’s Just Transition Fund – JTF, and Regional Council of North Karelia.
For more information: Daesung Lee [email protected];
Naomi Moriyama [email protected]
