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Abstract

Korean pine is a five-needle big arbor pine species that dominated at natural coniferous broadleaved mixed forests in temperate regions, with the functions of high-quality timber, and pine nut production as well as potential ornamental and healthy wood entablement. However, a quantitative analysis of the global research landscape of Korean pine has been lacking and hindering a unified understanding of the field’s trajectory. This study employs bibliometric analysis on 682 articles from the Web of Science database (2003-2025), to map the global research landscape of Korean pine and to identify future research directions. Result exhibits an average annual publication growth rate of 9.15% with overall trend best described by a logarithmic model (R2 = 0.832), dominated by 76.83% publications from China, and Northeast Forestry University emerged as the leading institute. The collaboration network is highly polarized, with China at the center of it having strong Asia-Pacific affiliation and presenting a significant opportunity to deepen scientific ties with Western countries. Thematic evolution has no longer been grounded in studies on growth and ecology, but new frontiers are being set on climate change resilience, genetic diversity, and biotechnology. This strategic analysis references researchers to priority research on genetics & breeding, and ecological interactions of Korean pine, and supports two management innovations: genetically informed restoration using improved or locally adapted Korean pine material, and adaptive ecosystem-based management that integrates species interactions, mixed stand planning, and ecological monitoring

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