Incheon City Applies to Ministry of Environment for Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong Islands as 'Global Geopark'

Incheon City announced on the 6th that it submitted an application to the Ministry of Environment on the 30th of last month to have Ongjin-gun's Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, and Socheongdo Geoparks certified as UNESCO Global Geoparks.

UNESCO Global Geoparks are places that protect sites and landscapes of significant geological value worldwide and are specially managed for education on climate change and geological disasters, as well as sustainable development. Currently, 195 sites in 48 countries (5 sites domestically) have been certified as Global Geoparks.

Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, and Socheongdo, located in the West Sea Five Islands and the northwesternmost point, cover a small area of 66㎢ but boast outstanding scenery and numerous geological heritages comparable to world natural heritage sites. Due to their unique geological characteristics and geographical location different from the mainland, they hold clues to the evolution process of the East Asian crust, and were designated as a National Geopark in July 2019.

Sedimentary layers from 1 billion years ago appearing at Dumujin, Baengnyeongdo [Photo provided by Incheon City]

In the current candidate application, the city expanded the park area and geological sites of the existing National Geopark. The geopark area now includes the marine environment closely related to island life, and the number of geological sites within the geopark has increased from 10 to 20 (9 in Baengnyeong, 6 in Daecheong, and 5 in Socheong).

The city plans to formally submit an application to UNESCO next year if the Ministry of Environment selects Baengnyeongdo, Daecheongdo, and Socheongdo Geoparks as UNESCO Global Geopark candidates. Following this, after evaluations by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and UNESCO assessment teams in 2025, the city aims to obtain final approval in 2026.

An official from Incheon City stated, "By achieving UNESCO Global Geopark certification, we will raise public awareness of the value of Baengnyeong, Daecheong, and Socheong Islands and secure regional sustainability through the activation of ecological geological tourism."

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