War zone to wildlands: the campaign to restore Korea

A barbed wire fence marks the demilitarized zone dividing North Korea and South Korea. The guard post is in South Korea.

June 19, 2000
Web posted at: 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT)

By Environmental News Network staff

As North Korea and South Korea begin to erase 50 years of conflict following a successful summit meeting this past week, conservation groups are offering another recipe for peace.

They want to protect the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea, which has become a haven for endangered plants and animals.

"Environmental issues are politically neutral and easy to deal with," said Ke Chung Kim, an entomologist at Pennsylvania State University.

Since the early 1990s, Kim has led an effort to turn the DMZ into a permanent biodiversity preserve.

With the exception of a few military intelligence officers, no humans have crossed the barbed wire fence that lines the DMZ. Because of its isolation, the area contains one of the last vestiges of natural habitat.

Established at the end of the Korean War in 1953, the 150-mile long, 2.5-mile wide corridor traverses a major river delta and grasslands in the west and rugged mountain terrain in the east.

The Siberian tiger, black bear and musk deer are among hundreds of rare species that inhabit the area. The ecosystems of the DMZ and a buffer zone, the Civilian Control Zone, also provide wintering grounds for two of the world's most endangered birds: the white-naped crane and the red-crowned crane.

"Healthy environment and rich natural heritage are of paramount importance for the future of unified Korea," Kim wrote in a recent editorial for the Korea Herald. "Environmental concerns underlie all of the major topics that have been identified as priority, (including) economic cooperation, tension and arms reduction."

Before the Korean War, the country was once known as the "land of embroidered rivers and mountains." But for the past four decades, the integrity of the area's ecosystems has been severely reduced.

Another view of the demilitarized zone dividing North Korea and South Korea. The western portion is grassland.

Most of South Korea's natural ecosystems have been replaced by industrial sites and urban centers, Kim said. Plant and animal habitat is drastically fragmented, modified or completely destroyed. A 1994 biodiversity study conducted in South Korea found that 14 percent of known birds, 23 percent of freshwater fish, 29 percent of mammals, 48 percent of reptiles and 60 percent of amphibians were endangered or extirpated.

In North Korea, rampant deforestation has caused severe soil erosion and flooding. Military operations have also contributed to environmental degradation.

The population of the Korean peninsula is expected to reach 100 million by the year 2025. As a result, natural resources will continue to decline, Kim said.

"I am working hard to (convince) both countries to deal with the (environment)," he said. "A reserve would foster closer scientific and political ties between the two Koreas and become the focal point for intensified conservation efforts on the Korean Peninsula."

So far, Kim has galvanized the interest of many international conservation organizations, including the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Institute of Public Administration in New York. The groups are pushing to make the environment a top agenda issue in future Korean summit meetings.

Creating a nature reserve might result in economic opportunities such as eco-tourism. Conservation groups point to the success of La Amistad International Park between Costa Rica and Panama.

Tourism, however, should remain on the back burner until a conservation agreement is reached between North Korea and South Korea, Kim said. "Unplanned tourism will kill the unique estate."

Copyright 2000, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved

Habitat conservation policies get a makeover
June 6, 2000
Summit laws unable to protect most endangered species
May 11, 2000
Governments sound biodiversity alarm in Nairobi
May 22, 2000
Forest report card from Europe
January 26, 2000

DMZ bioreserves harbor hope for peace
Bombs give way to birds in Indiana
Foundation digs deep to create park
Some savvy tips on eco-travel
Campaign launched to protect Brazil parks

Wildlife Conservation Society
Institute of Public Administration
DMZ Forum
Ke Chung Kim

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.