Korea was a global ‘paper powerhouse’ with about 130 paper and pulp companies thriving until the late 1980s, and was ranked as one of the world’s largest newsprint manufacturers. However, the rise of information technology (IT) began to shake the paper industry, and the number of companies decreased by half due to decreased demand. Even in this environment, the remaining companies are struggling with low profitability, and there is only one university in the country that specializes in papermaking.
However, Lee Bok-jin, chairman of the Korea Paper Manufacturers Association, is one of the exceptions who is working to revive the paper industry. He said, “The paper industry is not a declining industry. Any industry can have revival and stagnation, but there is no declining industry,” emphasizing that the paper industry can be revived if it develops into a more diverse range of materials.
Chairman Lee Bok-jin expressed his boundless love for the paper industry, and his encounter with the paper industry began in 1976. Fascinated by the world of paper, he entered the paper industry by entering the Department of Forestry and Engineering at Seoul National University. After that, he earned a doctorate in paper and studied abroad in Canada. After joining Hankook Paper in 1984 and stepping into the paper industry, he gained global experience by working in China for over 10 years and establishing and operating an overseas investment company.
He is currently preparing for the revival of the paper industry as the chairman of the Korea Paper Manufacturers Association. The keyword he focuses on is ‘eco-friendliness’. He emphasized that “eco-friendliness means that it is recyclable and can be completely biodegraded and returned to nature” and that the domestic paper recycling rate is high, making it an eco-friendly product.
However, he pointed out that despite the eco-friendly nature of paper, there is a misconception that paper is damaging the environment. According to a recent survey by the Paper Association, 86.5% of respondents answered that ‘paper is produced from trees from the Amazon and other virgin forests,’ confirming that misconceptions about paper still exist.
He emphasized that “the metaphor that trees must be cut down to make one ton of paper still appears in promotional materials,” and that “correcting this misconception is the biggest task of the Paper Manufacturers Association.” He also emphasized the role of paper in protecting the environment by explaining the eco-friendly characteristics of paper and the efforts made in the paper manufacturing process.
