Shinan-gun, Min-Gwan-Experts On-Site Discussion Meeting at Uido 'Hot Topic'

A field discussion was held on Uido Island in Sinan County with the participation of civilians, government officials, and experts for the proper restoration and opening of the sand dunes. (Photo by Sinan County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] A public-private field discussion for the proper restoration and opening of the dunes was held on the afternoon of the 29th of last month at Donmok Village Hall in Uido, Docho-myeon, Sinan-gun, which has the largest coastal dune (a landform formed by sand deposited by wind) in East Asia created by sea breeze.

According to Sinan-gun on the 2nd, the discussion was held with enthusiastic debate attended by island and environmental experts from related organizations including Jeollanam-do, Sinan-gun, the Western Office of Dadohaehaesang National Park, Kang Jae-yoon, director of the Island Research Institute, Dr. Choi Kwang-hee of the National Institute of Environmental Research, as well as residents of Uido Island.

The dunes of Uido in Sinan-gun are formed by sand carried and accumulated by the wind. In the 1990s, they were classified as large dunes with a height of 70 to 80 meters and a width of 20 meters at the bottom and 50 meters at the top, but now the height has decreased by more than 30 meters.

As the dunes were damaged, restoration monitoring of the Uido dune topography by the Western Office of Dadohaehaesang National Park began in 2011, and public access has been strictly controlled.

This control measure, which is extended every five years, was scheduled to end on July 15th but was recently extended again until 2025.

Kang Jae-yoon, director of the Island Research Institute, who attended the discussion as a presenter, said, “Until the late 1990s, hundreds of cows and goats grazed around the dunes, eating grass, which allowed the sand to be easily blown by the wind and helped maintain the original shape of the dunes,” based on continuous island research.

In particular, based on residents’ testimonies, he criticized the control policy of the Western Office of Dadohaehaesang National Park, saying, “Trees around the dunes were used as firewood, and when the south wind blew, sand naturally accumulated on the slopes (Santai, a Jeonnam dialect meaning mountain slope). However, as the need for firewood disappeared, the trees grew densely, which hindered the smooth supply of sand.”

Professor Choi Kwang-hee of Kwandong University introduced cases of Okjukpo in Daecheongdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, and Sinduri Beach in Wonbuk-myeon, Taean-gun, which have similar dunes, geography, and environment to Uido.

Professor Choi emphasized, “While Uido is designated as a national park and strictly controls public access, Okjukpo in Daecheongdo is also designated as a national geopark but is open to the public like the dunes in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Since they have undergone similar processes in similar environments, we should take this as a lesson.”

During the free speech session afterward, Uido residents expressed various opinions on the restoration and degree of opening of the dunes.

There were differing opinions on the degree of dune opening and preservation methods. However, through smooth questioning, answering, sharing, and gathering of residents’ voices, the public and private sectors formed a consensus to set goals and future directions related to the topic.

The discussion set future directions through sharing opinions on three main parts.

First, install walking guidance signs that visitors can easily recognize. Second, actively promote and expand activities to purchase ‘mountain land.’ Third, agree on designing a long-term plan to commission research and academic services involving residents.

A resident of Seongchon Village who attended said, “There were few opportunities to share and exchange opinions with officials from related authorities, so I was disappointed, but I am very glad that a place was provided to share opinions in the same space,” and urged, “Please do not forget that the people who know the region best are the local residents.”

Another resident of Donmok Village said, “I was unaware of the private land purchase system promoted by the National Park Management Corporation or the information on detour trails around the dunes,” and mentioned, “Realizing new facts is a great achievement gained from public-private discussions.”

Park Woo-ryang, mayor of Sinan-gun, said, “The coastal dunes are designated as Sinan-gun’s Local Cultural Property No. 9 and are the largest sand dunes in Korea, requiring systematic management,” and added, “We will continue to check the site and actively engage in in-depth consideration and preparation of alternatives for dune restoration and opening through interviews with residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.