DMZ 일원 생태 í‰í™”ì  관리를 위한 êµ­ì œì»¨í¼ëŸ°ìŠ¤ - ìœ ë„¤ìŠ¤ì½”í•œêµ­ìœ„ì›íšŒ

FindingCommonGroundBetweenthe
Two Koreas
Mr. Peter Shadie
IUCN Asia
A normal prerequisite for successful transnational conservation is a degree of willingness
from the concerned countries to cooperate in the interests of protecting shared resources.
In the case of the DMZ this willingness is not equally shared between DPRK & ROK.
As has been pointed out in numerous forums on the DMZ, the enthusiasm for joint
conservation has largely to date come from the South. More than this, the simple capacity
for ROK and DPRK field managers to even communicate is a challenge so making
collaboration and joint management almost impossible. This lends a special challenge to
achieving a Peace Park in the DMZ.
The dialogue about conservation within the broader DMZ often raises the logic of
focussing on the eastern section of the DMZ where the two protected areas of
Kumgang-san and Seorak-san are only separated by the DMZ and buffer control zones.
These two protected areas which exist within the shared Kangwon Province would seem to
offer one of the more promising opportunities for transboundary conservation through a
Peace Park.
Seorak-san in ROKprotects some of Korea’s most spectacular mountain scenery and is
one of the country’s most popular parks attracting over 4million visitors per year. The
park protects a rich array of plant and animal species and covers nearly 40,000ha.
Kumgang-san in DPRK is slightly larger at nearly 48,000ha and conserves complementary
biodiversity and cultural values along the Baekdu Daegan Mountain System that forms the
spine of Korea. Both these protected areas are classified as Category II under the IUCN
system. Kumgang-san possesses a series of famous lakes and is, like Seorak-san, a hugely
popular destination for Koreans. The park contains the Kumgang-san Diamond Mountains
tourist resort established by the Hyundai Asan Corporation.
In May 2010 IUCN were invited to DPRK by the Nature Conservation Union of Korea
(NCUK). NCUK are an IUCN member of long standing and requested support across a
range of capacity areas related to protected areas and species conservation. The visit
revealed a strong appetite among Government officials and academics for technical support.
IUCN have undertaken to work toward providing support although working in the country
Nature, Peace and Local Development ❙ 89