[News Spot] Palgongsan Elevated to 23rd National Park Status

'Palgongsan' is a mountain with an elevation of 1,192 meters, spanning Daegu Metropolitan City’s Dong-gu, Gyeongsangbuk-do’s Gyeongsan-si, Yeongcheon-si, Gunwi-gun, and Chilgok-gun.

Palgongsan currently holds national significance for its historical, cultural, ecological, and scenic values, possessing 2 national treasures, 25 treasures, and a total of 92 cultural assets. It is also home to 5,296 species of wildlife, including 15 endangered wild species such as the red bat, otter, leopard cat, and marten, as well as 77 natural scenic spots, representing some of the highest levels of cultural and natural resources and landscapes in the country.

Minister of Environment Han Hwa-jin is announcing the elevation of Palgongsan, a famous mountain spanning Daegu and Gyeongbuk, to a national park at the Government Seoul Office Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 23rd.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 23rd, the Ministry of Environment elevated Palgongsan to a national park status following a review by the National Park Committee. Since being designated as a provincial park in May 1980, it has become South Korea’s 23rd national park after 43 years. It took two years since Daegu City and Gyeongbuk Province proposed the designation to the Ministry of Environment, and it is the first new national park designation in seven years since Taebaeksan Provincial Park was elevated to the 22nd national park in August 2016.

According to the feasibility study conducted from 2021 to 2022 on designating Palgongsan as a national park, Palgongsan ranked 8th in wildlife habitat status, 7th in natural scenic resources, and 2nd in cultural resources following Bukhansan when compared to other national parks, indicating its high conservation value.

The economic value of Palgongsan is also expected to increase with its elevation to a national park. The economic value of Palgongsan Provincial Park was estimated at 275.4 billion KRW, and with the national park designation, it is projected to increase 1.9 times to 523.3 billion KRW. Annual visitors are expected to rise by 28% from 3.58 million to 4.58 million, and the conservation and utilization value is expected to increase 19-fold, contributing to regional economic revitalization.

Management authority will be unified under the Ministry of Environment from Daegu City and Gyeongbuk Province. Consequently, infrastructure such as ecological exploration centers, sky observatories, forest experience facilities, and barrier-free trails, which were previously difficult to implement due to financial reasons, will be additionally established. This is expected to greatly improve regional tourism activation and accessibility for transportation-disadvantaged groups. Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, stated, "From a development perspective, the national park’s area can be systematically managed, and from a natural perspective, conservation value increases, providing visitors with high ecological services and utilization value."

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