Environmental organizations have recently opposed and protested strong pruning of the painted maple trees along the Yeoul area of Jeonjucheon conducted by Jeonju City. The Jeonbuk Environmental Movement Union stated on the 7th that "excessive pruning in the midst of the growing season, in a situation where climate crisis and urban heat island phenomenon are worsening, is self-destructive to the ecological foundation of citizens' lives," urging a comprehensive reassessment by the administration.

Jeonju City explained that the pruning was a measure taken in preparation for typhoons and other natural disasters. However, the Jeonbuk Environmental Movement Union pointed out that if typhoon preparedness was the reason, a prior tree structure diagnosis should have been conducted, and selective pruning should have been done only on risky individuals. They also criticized that the uniform pruning of 70 painted maple trees during the summer could be indiscriminate and have significant ecological counter-effects.

In fact, summer pruning can hinder tree growth and lead to side effects such as canopy imbalance, decreased wind resistance, and deterioration of root health. The Yeoul area of Jeonjucheon has been a place where painted maple trees have grown steadily for years, forming the urban ecological landscape and providing shade and coolness to citizens.

The environmental organizations called this measure a 'contradictory administration' that diminishes the city's climate resilience and proposed the following improvement measures: ▲halt summer pruning and establish ecological guidelines ▲publicize the tree pruning plan in advance and institutionalize citizen participation in the opinion collection process ▲establish a 'citizen monitoring group for tree-lined streets' to create a citizen-participatory ecological management system.

Separate from the pruning, the fact that five painted maple trees were planted in some old tree or vacant spots was welcomed as "a fundamental measure for sustainable tree-lined forest management." However, they added that it should not stop at planting but should approach from a more integrated ecological landscaping perspective, including soil protection and creating habitats for wildlife.