SK Telecom said on Saturday it held a tree-planting event with Yuhan-Kimberly on April 4 in Pungcheon-myeon, Andong, to create a “Forest of Peace” in areas damaged by wildfires.

Pungcheon-myeon is an area in urgent need of ecosystem recovery after a major wildfire in March last year. About 100 SKT and Yuhan-Kimberly employees and family members participated voluntarily. Participants planted a total of 1,500 trees, including rare species designated by the Korea Forest Service such as hovenia trees, Abeliophyllum distichum and yellow flag iris, which are food sources for bees.

The event is part of a comprehensive business agreement the two companies signed in September last year to strengthen environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. The companies are working across areas including creating forests in wildfire-damaged sites, resource-circulation campaigns and marketing cooperation.

The two companies also plan to plant a total of 10,000 trees over five years through 2030 and pursue a long-term, systematic restoration strategy using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The activity will be carried out together with the Forest of Peace, a non-governmental organisation specialising in forest ecosystem restoration.

SKT is also working with Invelab, a startup that solves ecosystem restoration through technology, to film wildfire-damaged areas with drones and closely assess the extent of damage. It is also using AI to scientifically analyse the ecosystem characteristics of sites targeted for restoration.

Eom Jong-hwan (엄종환), head of SKT’s ESG Promotion Office, said the tree planting was a meaningful first step in publicising restoration of the Andong wildfire-damaged areas. He said SKT will continue to use its AI technology capabilities to lead efforts to restore ecosystems in wildfire-damaged sites, manage forests scientifically and help solve various environmental problems in society.