Preserving Biodiversity in Korea's Demilitarized Zone
Ke Chung Kim
Amidst international tensions and
military posturing, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and
South Korea has, for 45 years, provided sanctuary to endangered and
threatened animals and plants. The DMZ has been rigidly enforced: It is
uninhabited by humans, and its inaccessibility has allowed damaged
forests to rehabilitate and farmlands that are thousands of years old to return to a natural state. The DMZ has, in fact, become a unique nature reserve containing the last vestiges of Korea's natural heritage. The Korean Peace Bioreserves System provides a strategy to
preserve the rich biodiversity of the DMZ. Joint development of the
Korean Peace Bioreserves System will foster trust, understanding, and
respect between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north
and the Republic of Korea in the south.
The author is at the Center for BioDiversity Research,
Environmental Resources Research Institute, Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail:
kck1{at}ceres.erri.psu.edu
