National Park Area Expanded 12 Times in Yeouido... Addition of Bammori-jae in Jirisan and Others

The 3rd National Park Plan Revision Confirmed

The Ministry of Environment will add 36㎢ to the areas of 22 national parks nationwide, approximately 12 times the size of Yeouido. The total area of national parks in the country will expand from the existing 6,726.3㎢ to 6,762.3㎢.

On the 30th, the Ministry of Environment announced that it has completed the review by the National Park Committee on the proposed changes to the 3rd National Park Plan, which includes this addition. According to the Natural Parks Act, the validity of the national park plan is reviewed every 10 years and the plan is revised accordingly. The Ministry has been promoting the 3rd National Park Plan revision since 2018.

This revision specifically adds a total of 36㎢ by combining areas incorporated into and removed from park zones. This accounts for about 0.5% of the total national park area. A total of 72.2㎢ of areas recognized for their value as national parks have been incorporated, including Bammeorijae in Jirisan, Sinduri Sand Dunes and Jangansa Rock in Taeanhaean. Conversely, 36.2㎢ of farmland, ports, and harbors have been removed from national park zones.

Land use zones within the park areas will also be changed. To strengthen protection of core areas, the park natural preservation zone, mainly in highland areas, will increase by 0.8 percentage points to 1,580.7㎢, expanding by 57.4㎢. Park village zones and park cultural heritage zones, established to maintain residents’ livelihoods and preserve temple cultural assets, will be newly created or expanded in 99 and 54 locations respectively, reflecting opinions from residents and religious communities.

Mudeungsan National Park

Park facilities such as visitor centers and trails within national parks will be newly established or abolished depending on the purpose of the land use zone where they are located, visitor usage patterns, and future installation needs.

The Ministry of Environment also plans to promote institutional improvements discussed during inter-agency consultations in this national park plan revision. It will continuously expand the purchase of private land within national parks, including newly incorporated areas, while strengthening win-win cooperation with local communities and stakeholders through park protection agreements and expanding village support projects tailored to residents’ experiences and local needs.

Additionally, the plans for 20 national parks, including Gayasan, whose National Park Committee reviews have been completed first, will be officially revised and announced on May 1, and the plans for the remaining Hallyeohaesang and Dadohaehaesang National Parks will be revised and announced by the end of May.

Kim Jong-ryul, Director of the Nature Conservation Bureau at the Ministry of Environment, said, "Although this national park plan revision was a challenging process that took a total of five years, we achieved meaningful results by maximizing the reflection of requests from local residents and communities while expanding park zones and park natural preservation zones."

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