DAEJEON — The Korea Forest Service said on Oct. 16 that it held a ceremony marking the 25th Mountain Day and the opening of the 17th Korea Forest Expo at Saengmyeongnuri Park in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, under the theme "A Happier Korea Through Forests."
Mountain Day, observed on Oct. 18, has been marked annually by the Korea Forest Service since 2002, when the United Nations declared that year the International Year of Mountains. The agency created the observance to raise awareness of the value and importance of mountains.
The ceremony included a reading of the Forest Charter and government awards to 12 people recognized for their contributions to forest development, honoring the value of forests and the efforts of those who have advanced them.
The 17th Korea Forest Expo runs from Oct. 16 to Oct. 18 under the theme "A Happier Korea Through Forests — A Journey Along the Woods." The event introduces the varied benefits of forests and the government's forest policies, with exhibition and hands-on booths that let visitors experience woodlands firsthand.
"The expo will serve as a venue for mapping out a sustainable future together with the public, promoting the value of forests and allowing people to envision a life in harmony with the environment," Korea Forest Service Administrator Park Eun-sik said.