Advances in conifer biotechnology offer new opportunities in the field of vegetative propagation and genetic engineering. Development of clonal propagation methods, especially somatic embryogenesis (SE), has numerous potential applications. Owing to its efficiency in plant regeneration, coupled with the ease of long-term storage in liquid nitrogen, SE became an indispensable tool for accelerating the development of tree varieties and deployment. Early SE protocols were developed for Picea species, however, when applied to Pinus species, especially at the somatic embryo maturation stage, they were unsuccessful. It became apparent that pines required more research and development to bring the SE biotechnology to its potential. This review emphasizes the most recent progress made in SE and cryopreservation in the genus Pinus, focusing on major plantation and forest species in Europe (Pinus pinaster), New Zealand, Australia, and South America (P. radiata), as well as North America (P. taeda and P. strobus). Much consideration is also given to applying SE in pine improvement and deployment strategies in multivarietal forestry.