After the Korean War ended in 1953, South Korea faced severely degraded hills and mountains, with millions of hectares classified as “bare mountain.” Over the following decades, the country launched an ambitious reforestation campaign involving government agencies, local communities, new fuel strategies and billions of seedlings. More than 10 billion trees were planted from the 1960s through the 1980s, while the volume of standing wood increased dramatically. The remarkable recovery demonstrates how long-term planning, community participation and persistent forest management can transform damaged landscapes.