Tree Cover Loss in South Korea
South Korea: Tree Cover Loss was 86,981 hectares in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Tree Cover Loss in South Korea, 2001–2025
Source: Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA). Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2025, tree cover loss in South Korea stood at 86,981 hectares. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 455.8% on the previous year and up 401.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tree cover loss in South Korea peaked at 86,981 hectares in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3,612 hectares, in 2003.
That places South Korea 36th out of 189 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9,204 hectares | 3,612 hectares | 16,416 hectares | 9 |
| 2010s | 16,823 hectares | 9,477 hectares | 22,558 hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 31,233 hectares | 15,651 hectares | 86,981 hectares | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More agriculture & rural data for South Korea
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 27.42 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 1.5% (2025)
- Rural population 9.73 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.2% (2025)
- Rural population 18.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 1.46 (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 1.46 (2025)
- Land under cereal production 776,099 hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tree cover loss in South Korea?
- Tree cover loss in South Korea was 86,981 hectares in 2025, according to Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA).
- What is the highest tree cover loss recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 86,981 hectares in 2025.
- What is the lowest tree cover loss recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,612 hectares in 2003.
- How does South Korea rank for tree cover loss?
- South Korea ranks 36th out of 189 countries with data for 2025.
- Is tree cover loss rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 401.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from Global Forest Watch. Tree Cover Loss (Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA), published as part of Tree Cover Loss (hectares). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Shows year-by-year tree cover loss, defined as stand level replacement of vegetation greater than 5 meters, within the selected area. The tree cover loss data set is a collaboration of the University of Maryland, Google, USGS, and NASA, and uses Landsat satellite images to map annual tree cover loss at a 30 × 30 meter resolution. Note that “tree cover loss” is not the same as “deforestation” – tree cover loss includes change in both natural and planted forest, and does not need to be human caused. The data from 2011 onward were produced with an updated methodology that may capture additional loss. Comparisons between the original 2001-2010 data and future years should be performed with caution.