• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.2107-2120
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• 2014

Natural environmental protection system in North Korea is rarely understood mainly because of lack of information in scientific and legislative fields. Legislation is very important to achieve goal for protected areas, which are described in "Natural Protected Area Law(NPAL)". Cabinet of North Korea has authorities to lead the Central Agency for Land and Environment Conservation(CALEC). Designation and managements of natural protected areas are regarded as CALEC and local governments responsibilities. There are many differences between South and North Korea. Especially legislation system has many differences. North Korea's Labor Party is superior to the Government and Labor Party's order has at least the same authority to regulate and manage the national policy and means. With NPAL, CALEC organizes the national plan for natural protected area and regulate the activities of the Agencies for Land and Environment Conservation in the aspects of action plan, budget and other resources. For the reunification in the future, legislation system of North Korea should be understood.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.191-200
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• 2014

This study aims to analyze the current status of government-designated cultural heritage that are protected as sacred natural sites, focused on natural monuments and scenic sites, and provide basic research for these cultural heritage to be included in the protected area category. First, among natural cultural heritage that are designated and protected by Cultural heritage Protection Law, there are 40 scenic sites and 126 natural monuments that have been selected as sacred nature sites. Second, the study showed that sacred nature sites are sacred places that have been long associated with happiness and misfortune of the villagers, including Dangsan Forest, Seunghwanglim(Forest), and, as physical environment and combination of cultural value, rules, and attitude and belief system toward the land that protect the people. The unique folk beliefs of the region provide strong protection of the place. Third, although the natural monuments of old and large trees are not included in the protected area as they are recognized sparsely, but can be designated as world protected area as protected areas are set around sacred nature sites. Fourth, in order to be included in IUCN category, sacred natural sites of scenic sites will need to be managed by specific categories of each area according to the interior status of the designated areas and maintain the sustainability of the natural heritage by protecting both physical and spiritual elements.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 2021

Background and objective: A biosphere reserve is a complex concept that combines the preservation of biodiversity and the sustainable development with the region, outstanding ecosystems with worth conserving in worldwide. The purpose of this study is to suggest the way of zoning that can perform the functions of conservation, development, and logistics support of biosphere reserves. Methods: To meet the purpose of this study, the designation criteria, restrictions, and permissions of the protected area specified in the law for domestic protected areas were reviewed to classify the functions of a biosphere reserve. Results: Through this classification, 10 domestic protected areas with high ecological protection value, such as the natural beauty of the ecosystem, biodiversity, and habitats for wild animals and plants were derived as the core areas of the biosphere reserves. Also, a total of 21 protected zones that can function as a buffer to protect the core of the natural ecosystem from indiscriminate development such as resource protection, recovery, pollution prevention, and improvement were derived as appropriate sites for a buffer. In the review process, issues such as different behavioral restrictions and ranges of permission due to the application of different laws were identified, if two or more protected areas exist within one of the protected areas, there is a protected area that does not meet the criteria for designating use zone, or where behavior restrictions do not meet the zoning criteria of biosphere reserve, under the laws of domestic protected areas. Conclusion: Although this study was not able to carefully review most of the laws on domestic protected areas that are linked to other laws, it was able to categorize appropriate domestic protected areas that can act as the core and buffer zones of biosphere reserves.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2010

Law-protected trees are our precious asset as natural resources with history and tradition and natural heritage which should be protected and maintained well to bequeath next generation. Law-protected trees have not only thremmatologic and genetic meaning but also environmental and emotional meaning for their value to be high. This study investigated location, vitality, wrapping condition of root area and status of maintenance of the trees to figure out their growth environment and status of maintenance in a small-middle city through survey on those of law-protected trees in Je-cheon. There showed 300 more year old trees in Je-cheon mostly and the number of trees located in flat fields was the highest. For location type, village, hill and road types were presented in the order and for degree of development, land for building was found most frequently. The average electric resistance of the formative layer was measured to be $8.4k{\Omega}$ and four trees showed bark separation. Most law-protected trees underwent tree surgery, and complete bareness of root area was observed in a tree. The root area of two trees was covered with concrete. pH of soil was recorded to be 5.0~8.4 with its average of 7.1 and electric conductivity(EC) was less than 0.5 dS/m. For status of maintenance rearing facilities were placed for 16 trees out of totally 48 ones and stone fence was done for three ones. Tree surgery was conducted for 33 trees to prevent and to treat decomposed parts of holes. Direction boards were installed for 23 trees. Based on these results, measures to manage systematically law-protected trees in Jecheon could be suggested as follows. First, a sufficient space for growth of low part of trees should be secured. Second, a voluntary management should be induced by advertising them to residents in a community. Third, rearing facilities and direction boards of law-protected trees should be placed and related education should be conducted. Fourth, through operation of the department for law-protected trees consisting of related professions and cooperation among related departments the trees should be maintained continuously.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.15-28
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• 2017

A protected area means a space designated and protected by law from development pressure and environmental pressure. It is mainly designated to protect specific ecosystems, natural landscapes, and cultural resources from irrational development (or damage), and involves policies of the public sector such as central and local governments. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has conducted conservation and restoration projects for preserving natural ecosystems and genetic resources. In order to conserve the ecosystem in the protected area, national and public organizations purchase private land and use it ecologically; in addition, ecological restoration project is carried out for the purpose of creating waterside ecological belt or preserving ecosystem. Land acquisition refers to the land where highly influenced by the water quality and need to restore, and purchased by negotiating with the landlord. Although the nation and public institution carried out ecosystem restoration project for partial purchase land in order to conserve ecosystem, it is below the expected effect due to lack of comprehensive management system and have some problems in restoration project and unification of management institutions. Land acquisition in Donggang River Basin Ecological Conservation area is initiated in 2005 for creating income of local residents and ecological restoration. However, the lack of overall management and awareness resulted in poor vegetation growth and poor response by local residents due to terrain exposure. As such, there is insufficient research on the current situation and systematic integrated management although the number of land acquisition is increasing year after year. Futhermore, overall recognition and follow-up monitoring of eco-restoration are still inadequate. Therefore, the survey on the awareness of the purchase land ecosystem restoration project is necessary for the efficient restoration project and establishment of the management strategy for land acquisition in the future. Therefore, in this study, we provide fundamental materials on further research projects by carrying out research on the awareness of ecological restoration projects in the Donggang River basin ecological preservation area.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.249-260
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• 2022

This mini review examines the habitat connectivity and effectiveness of Korean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) region. We first reemphasize that the Korean region of the YSLME is a single ecosystem (ecoregion) given the biophysical distribution patterns. The MPAs within the YSLME contribute about 50% to the total MPAs in Korea, accounting for about 10% of the territorial sea waters of Korea and 20% of the waters of YSLME on the Korean side. By area, national parks account for nearly 45% of the MPAs, followed by the wetland protected areas at 25%, with other types of MPA comprising the remaining 30%. Large MPA (> 100 km²) is the dominant type of MPA, accounting for 90% of the total area. We find that MPAs in the region are connected physically and perhaps also genetically. However, the level of protection was found to be low, and a no-take zone is rarely implemented. In addition, interrupted freshwater discharge caused by river-mouth dams poses a major hindrance to the physical connectivity of the MPAs. Restoration of the river-mouth dams and strengthened regulation on MPAs, with further expansion of MPAs in line with the current development of post-2020 global biodiversity frameworks, should be priorities for better management of marine resources. The newly revised law incorporating the concept of "Marine Ecosystem Axis Management" would reinforce the processes, and their effectiveness together with overall management of MPAs in Korea should be evaluated by designing appropriate measurement tools.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.437-450
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of Is. Gageo (Jeollanam-do). The vascular plants were collected 13 times (from June 2008 to September 2011), and 465 taxa in total were identified, including 112 families, 301 genera, 402 species, 3 subspecies, 49 varieties, 9 forms and 2 hybrids. 171 taxa were first records for the region. Among them were seven taxa of Korean endemic plants and the Ministry of Environment-designated plants, which should be protected by the wildlife protection law, were identified as three taxa. There were 54 taxa of the flora with the levels III, IV, V in the floristic indicator plants which was designated by Ministry of Environment. The naturalized plants were identified as 29 taxa, and their naturalization ratio and urban index were found to be 6.2% and 9.0% respectively. There existed many kinds of plants resources having conservational value like $Loxogramme$ $salicifolia$, $Sarcandra$ $glabra$, $Osmanthus$ $insularis$, $Saussurea$ $polylepis$, $Carex$ $ligulata$ var. $austrokoreensis$, $Hosta$ $jonesii$, $Cyrtosia$ $septentrionalis$, etc., in this area. As therefore clear that appropriate plans to conserve the natural habitat of Is. Gageo must be made immediately.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.474-484
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• 2015

This study aims at providing exercisable basic data for the management of protection areas in China by investigating into their legal system such as current laws, regulations, other relevant laws and international treaties and the management system such as history, classification, organization, personnel, funds and main management work.. In People's Republic of China (1954), several laws have been enacted in succession, such as Environment Law (1989), Regulations of Natural Reserves (1994) and Land Management Methods of Natural Reserves (1995). The development process of China's natural reserves is divided into the following five phases. In the initial phase (1956-1965), about 20 natural reserves were established; in the lag phase (1966-1978), a part of the natural reserves was destroyed under the influence of the Great Cultural Revolution; in the development phase (1979-1998), a normative legal system began to appear after the reform and opening up; in the leap phase (1999-2006), the number of natural reserves increased dramatically; in the stable phase ( 2007-present), the protection and restoration of the ecological environment have been implemented, and the supervision and management have been strengthened. China has established natural reserves of national, provincial, municipal and county levels according to the relevant laws. According to the resource categories, natural reserves can be divided into natural ecosystem reserves, wildlife reserves and natural relic reserves. The Ministry of Forestry is in charge of 1,958 natural reserves which account for 74.2 % of the total natural reserves in China. In China, there are 1,384 natural reserves (52.4 %) for which management institutions have been set up. 1,702 natural reserves (64.47 %) are equipped with management staff, showing a higher ratio than the natural reserves which have set up management institutions. China has established natural reserves of national level, provincial level, municipal level and county level according to law. According to the resource categories, natural reserves can be divided into natural ecosystem reserves, wildlife reserves, and natural relic reserves. The Ministry of Forestry is in charge of 1,958 natural reserves which accounts for 74.2 % of the total natural reserves in China. In China, there are 1,384 natural reserves (52.4 %) which have set up management institutions. 1,702 natural reserves (64.47 %) are equipped with management staff with a higher ratio than the natural reserves which have set up management institutions.