Excessive pruning of street trees sparks environmental concerns nationwide

[Anchor]

Trees on the streets across the country are suffering from excessive pruning.

Many local governments have indiscriminately pruned trees, citing difficulties in management, leading to a rise in the number of bare trees, which has even given rise to the term "chicken feet trees."

Reporter Choi Jin-seok has the story.

[Report]

This is a tree on the street in front of a large supermarket in Gimhae, Gyeongnam.

The branches have been cut back so much that it looks bare.

If there weren't some ginkgo leaves left, it would be hard to tell what kind of tree it is.

It used to boast a lush appearance, but after pruning, it now resembles chicken feet.

[Local resident: "It looks ugly. When it's lush, it's nice to look at, but when it's sparse, it's not pleasant to see."]

The city of Gimhae claims it has no choice but to prune, as complaints about the smell of ginkgo nuts would flood in if left alone.

The issue of trees resembling chicken feet is not unique to Gimhae.

Similar situations are occurring across the country.

The problem is that excessive pruning shortens the lifespan of the trees.

When viewed with sonic equipment, the insides of these chicken feet trees are rotting blue.

[Kim Cheol-eung/Director of Street Tree Korea: "(Excessive pruning) causes a lot of wounds, and through those wounds, rainwater seeps in, leading to internal decay."]

Ultimately, the Ministry of Environment recommended last year that at least 75% of the leaves on trees be left intact.

However, since this is not mandatory, local governments have not complied well, prompting environmental groups to call for the establishment of ordinances.

[Jung Jin-young/Secretary General of Gimhae Environmental Movement Union: "A committee that can reflect citizens' opinions needs to be established, and there should even be a fine system to penalize excessive pruning of street trees."]

In the United States and Hong Kong, there are restrictions against cutting more than 25% of the leafy parts of trees.

This is KBS News, Choi Jin-seok.