During its colonial rule over Korea, Japan had robbed it of rich forest resources at random.
The Japanese imperialists enforced an “Ordinance on Forest” to loot forests in Korea under the pretext of “nationalization”. And they proclaimed a “Forest Survey Act” on May 1, 1918, allegedly to finally confirm Korea’s ownership of forest.
The act was an evil law invented to tighten Japan’s colonial rule over Korea and plunder it of all the forest resources.
Under this act, the Japanese imperialists set about the planned and indiscriminate deforestation in Korea.
They made 13 millions of 16 million hectares of forest Japan’s property in the plea of “nationalized forest”, while the rest was distributed to Japanese landlords and pro-Japanese elements.
30 million cubic meters of timber had been shipped from Korea for Japan between 1931 and 1942, thus leaving the dense forests along the shores of Amnok and Tuman rivers depleted.
Later, the Japanese imperialists seized all the forests in Korea under the pretext of surveying and registering the ownership of forests and economic conditions.
Such illegal plunder is still in the memory of the Korean people, who will surely force Japan to pay dearly for its crimes.
