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Man arrested for allegedly stripping bark off more than 100 trees on Jeju Island

Published: 02 Jul. 2025, 16:07

A red machilus tree in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, is stripped of its bark. [ECOBUDDY]

A man in his 50s was arrested by police for allegedly stripping the bark off more than 100 red machilus trees in a forest on Jeju Island, authorities said Wednesday.

The Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Police Agency said it is investigating the suspect for violating the Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources, which prohibits damaging forest vegetation without authorization.

The man allegedly removed the bark from Machilus thunbergii trees — a species valued in traditional herbal medicine — in a wooded area of Seongeup-ri, Pyoseon-myeon, located in Seogwipo.

Police launched an investigation on June 17 after receiving a tip-off. Officers from the Seogwipo District Police Precinct used CCTV footage and conducted door-to-door inquiries to identify and arrest the suspect.

The Seogwipo city government, together with a tree specialist, has completed an emergency care operation on the damaged red machilus trees by applying a clay treatment.

According to the Act on the Creation and Management of Forest Resources, damaging trees in a forest without a valid reason can result in up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($22,000).

“We plan to determine the exact scale of the damage and will continue investigating to see if there were any additional offenses,” a Seogwipo Police official said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]