The Ministry of Environment and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat announced that Dongbaekdongsan wetland in Jeju and Ungok wetland in Jeollabuk-do were newly registered as Ramsar wetlands on April 21.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands has designated places which have peculiar characteristics of wetlands and importance at the international level with abundant biodiversity as Ramsar wetlands. As of April 22, 2011, 1,929 places in 160 countries have been registered as Ramsar wetlands. Newly designating Dongbaekdongsan wetland and Ungok wetland, Korea has 16 wetlands, whose gross area is 145.599㎢.

Dongbaekdongsan wetland, located in Gotjawal with primitive ecology of mountainous areas of Jejudo, has precious aboriginality of nature such as a meadow and a natural cave. Dongbaekdongsan is also habitats of Korea’s endangered species including a hawk and lsoetes sinensis, which is on the IUCN Red List as well as Korea’s indigenous species Mankyua chejuense.

Ungok wetland in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do, which has been restored to a low wetland from a waste farmland, can be served as a good example of a naturally restored wetland. Including 5 legally protected species, 549 rare species inhabit Ungok wetland. Also with the adjacent Gochang dolmen site, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it can be used for eco-tourism sites.

The Ministry of Environment plans to enhance wetland preservation activities including detailed investigation and monitoring on Ramsar wetlands’ ecosystem.

Dongbaekdongsan wetland

Ungok wetland