The mountains are too dense… We need to cut down the low mountains.

Lee Chul-woo, a candidate for the presidential primary of the People Power Party, has again raised his voice, insisting that we need to cut down mountains to build smart farms and resorts.

On the 20th, at the first presidential primary debate of the People Power Party held at the ASSA Art Hall in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, he chose 'National Reconstruction' as his keyword and mentioned 'Forest Transformation' as part of it.

He stated, "Due to forest restoration, the mountains have become too dense. However, mountains do not generate income. In our country, mountains constitute 63% of the land, but they only account for 1% of the income." He emphasized that "the mountains have become too dense because of forest restoration. However, mountains do not generate income. In our country, mountains constitute 63% of the land, but they only account for 1% of the income."

He continued, "When I saw the recent forest fire in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, I thought, 'This needs a major transformation. A governor cannot possibly handle this.' I need to become president to make this possible. Therefore, we need to make the forests profitable."

Regarding his related blueprint, he stated, "We need to cut down all the low mountains and create jobs for the youth. Build smart farms, develop resorts, and promote tourism resources."

He added, "By doing this, we can create many jobs for young people, and we can also make a lot of money by producing processed foods in line with the Korean Wave."

Earlier, on the 11th, he appeared on BBS Radio and argued for a 'recreation' through the development of tourism infrastructure, such as hotels, resorts, and golf courses, stating that "the era of planting trees in the burned areas is over."

Last month on the 31st, he was criticized for referring to recovering from the forest fire as the 'aesthetics of destruction.'

Meanwhile, in Gyeongbuk, this forest fire resulted in 27 deaths and the complete destruction of 4,203 homes. Additionally, more than 3,368 people lost their livelihoods.

Lee, the governor of Gyeongbuk, is currently on annual leave while participating in the presidential primary race of the People Power Party.

In response, Democratic Party member Lim Mi-ae pointed out, "Is it amusing to the citizens that Lee Chul-woo, who is on vacation, wants to run for president?"

Image source: News1, On the 29th of last month, the mountains in the forest fire-affected area of Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk, are charred. 2025.3.31 / News1, On March 26th, Lee checked the damages at the Gounsa Temple in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk. / News1