Kim Dae-rip, Korea’s first certified native bee master, holds a beehive at the native honeybee habitat established by LG. (Image provided by LG)
SEOUL, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) — LG has launched a long-term biodiversity initiative to restore Korea’s endangered native honeybee population, the company announced Monday. The project aims to support pollinator preservation as part of LG’s broader environmental and social contribution strategy.
In partnership with LG Evergreen Foundation, the company has established a native bee habitat on Jeonggwang Mountain near Hwadam Forest, an ecological arboretum it operates in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.
Native Korean honeybees play a critical ecological role, particularly in pollinating indigenous plants like wild pear trees. Globally, bees contribute to the production of over 70% of the top 100 crops, which account for 90% of the world’s food supply.
However, Korea’s native bee population has faced near extinction due to sacbrood virus outbreaks since 2010, with a reported 98% die-off. While some recovery has occurred through breeding of disease-resistant strains, climate change has recently triggered further massive declines, with billions of bees vanishing annually in the 2020s.
To counter this, LG has pledged to increase its native honeybee population from 1 million in 2025 to 2 million in 2026, and 4 million by 2027—doubling each year.
The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with Kim Dae-rip, Korea’s first officially recognized native bee master, and the social enterprise BeComFriends, specializing in sustainable apiculture.
By June, the project will focus on stabilizing the initial population of 1 million Hallasan native bees in their newly constructed habitat. Once the bee population reaches 4 million, LG plans to donate colonies to farms affected by pollination losses.
“LG is committed to building a sustainable ecosystem where humans and nature coexist, and we will continue to lead efforts that protect biodiversity,” a company spokesperson said.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
