The Korea Forest Service said on 10 November it has started an emergency survey of trees that are infected with pine wilt disease and could threaten people near where they live. Drones owned by its aviation headquarters and regional offices are part of the search.
Civilian drone pilots from a public volunteer group will also join to check places that are hard to see from the ground.
From next year the agency plans a three-layer monitoring system that combines farm and forest satellites, helicopters and drones, with AI added to the data. It says this will show where the disease is spreading across the country.
The head of the agency's forest pest control division said the priority is to remove dangerous trees near homes first.
