• Water for future
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.38-42
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• 1976

Because of differences in thoughts and ideology, our country, Korea has been deprived of national unity for some thirty years of time and tide. To achieve peaceful unification, the cultivation of national strength is of paramount importance. This national strength is also essential if Korea is to take rightful place in the international societies and to have the confidence of these societies. However, national strength can never be achieved in a short time. The fundamental elements in economic development that are directly conducive to the cultivation of national strength can be said to lie in -a stable political system, -exertion of powerful leadership, -cultivation of a spirit of diligence, self-help and cooperation, -modernization of human brain power, and -establishment of a scientific and well planned economic policy and strong enforcement of this policy. Our country, Korea, has attained brilliant economic development in the past 15 years under the strong leadership of president Park Chung Hee. However, there are still many problems to be solved. A few of them are: -housing and home problems, -increasing demand for employment, -increasing demand for staple food and -the need to improve international balance of payment. Solution of the above mentioned problems requires step by step scientific development of each sector and region of our contry. As a spearhead project in regional development, the Saemaul Campaign or new village movement can be cited. The campaign is now spreading throughout the country like a grass fire. However, such campaigns need considerable encouragement and support and the means for the desired development must be provided if the regional and sectoral development program is to sucdceed. The construction of large multipurpose dams in major river basin plays significant role in all aspects of national, regional and sectoral development. It ensures that the water resource, for which there is no substitute, is retained and utilized for irrigation of agricultural areas, production of power for industry, provision of water for domestic and industrial uses and control of river water. Water is the very essence of life and we must conserve and utilize what we have for the betterment of our peoples and their heir. The regional and social impact of construction of a large dam is enormous. It is intended to, and does, dras tically improve the "without-project" socio-economic conditions. A good example of this is the Soyanggang multipurpose dam. This project will significantly contribute to our national strength by utilizing the stored water for the benefit of human life and relief of flood and drought damages. Annual average precipitation in Korea is 1160mm, a comparatively abundant amount. The catchment areas of the Han River, Keum River, and Youngsan River are $62,755\textrm{km}^2$, accounting for 64% of the national total. Approximately 62% of the national population inhabits in this area, and 67% of the national gross product comes from the area. The annual population growth rate of the country is currently estimated at 1.7%, and every year the population growth in urban area increases at a rising rate. The population of Seoul, Pusan, and Taegu, the three major cities in Korea, is equal to one third of our national total. According to the census conducted on October 1, 1975, the population in the urban areas has increased by 384,000, whereas that in rural areas has decreased by 59,000,000 in the past five years. The composition of population between urban and rural areas varied from 41%~59% in 1959 to 48%~52% in 1975. To mitigate this treand towards concentration of population in urban areas, employment opportunities must be provided in regional and rural areas. However, heavy and chemical industries, which mitigate production and employment problems at the same time, must have abundant water and energy. Also increase in staple food production cannot be attained without water. At this point in time, when water demand is rapidly growing, it is essential for the country to provide as much a reservoir capacity as possible to capture the monsoon rainfall, which concentarated in the rainy seaon from June to Septesmber, and conserve the water for year round use. The floods, which at one time we called "the devil" have now become a source of immense benefit to Korea. Let me explain the topographic condition in Korea. In northern and eastern areas we have high mountains and rugged country. Our rivers originate in these mountains and flow in a general southerly or westerly direction throught ancient plains. These plains were formed by progressive deposition of sediments from the mountains and provide our country with large areas of fertile land, emminently suited to settlement and irrigated agricultural development. It is, therefore, quite natural that these areas should become the polar point for our regional development program. Hower, we are fortunate in that we have an additional area or areas, which can be used for agricultural production and settlement of our peoples, particularly those peoples who may be displaced by the formation of our reservoirs. I am speaking of the tidelands along the western and southern coasts. The other day the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery informed the public of a tideland reclamation of which 400,000 hectares will be used for growing rice as part of our national food self-sufficiency programme. Now, again, we arrive at the need for water, as without it we cannot realize this ambitious programme. And again we need those dams to provide it. As I mentioned before, dams not only provide us with essential water for agriculture, domestic and industrial use, but provide us with electrical energy, as it is generally extremely economical to use the water being release for the former purposes to drive turbines and generators. At the present time we have 13 hydro-electric power plants with an installed capacity of 711,000 kilowatts equal to 16% of our national total. There are about 110 potential dams ites in the country, which could yield about 2,300,000 kilowatts of hydro-electric power. There are about 54 sites suitable for pumped storage which could produce a further 38,600,000 kilowatts of power. All available if we carefully develop our water resources. To summarize, water resource development is essential to the regional development program and the welfare of our people, it must proceed hand-in-hand with other aspects of regional development such as land impovement, high way extension, development of our forests, erosion control, and develop ment of heavy and chemical industries. Through the successful implementation of such an integrated regional development program, we can look forward to a period of national strength, and due recognition of our country by the worlds societies.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.64-78
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• 2021

This study was conducted to find out the effect of the construction and operation of river-crossing structures on the habitat landscape characteristics in the Geum-gang River, South Korea. A total of three study reaches were selected in the downstream of the Daecheong Dam: the Buyong-ri reach, which is a control that is not affected by the construction and operation of the weir of the Four Rivers Project and Sejong-bo Weir reach and Gongju-bo Weir reach of the upper and lower sections of each weir that are affected by the weir construction and operation. The habitat type was classified, and then the structural characteristics of the landscape were analyzed using aerial photographs taken before and after the construction of the Daecheong Dam, before and after the construction of the weir, and before and after the weir gate operation. After the construction of Daecheong Dam in Geum River, the area of the bare land greatly decreased, and the area of grassland and woodland increased in the downstream of the dam. In addition, the patch number in the river landscape increased, the patch size decreased, and the landscape shape index and the habitat diversity increased. Therefore, after the construction of the dam, the bare land habitat was changed to a vegetated habitat, and the habitat was fragmented and diversified in the downstream of the dam. After the construction of the weirs, the area of open water increased by 18% in the Sejong-bo reach and by 90% in the Gongju-bo reach, and the landscape shape index of the open water decreased by 32% in the Sejong-bo reach and by 35% in the Gongju-bo reach, and the habitat diversity index decreased to 25% in the Sejong-bo reach and to 24% in the Gongju-bo reach. Therefore, the open water habitat was expanded, the shape of the habitat was simplified, and the habitat diversity decreased according to the construction of the weirs. After water-gate opening of the weir, the bare land that disappeared after the construction of the weir reappeared, and the landscape shape index and habitat diversity index increased in both terrestrial and open water habitats. Therefore, it was found that the landscape characteristics of the river habitats were restored to the pre-construction of the weir by the operation of the weir gate. The effect of weir gate opening was delayed in the downstream than in the upstream of the weir. Although the characteristics of the landscape structure in the river habitat changed due to the construction of the river-crossing structures, it is thought that proper technology development for the ecological operation of the structures is necessary as the habitat environments can be restored by the operation of these structures.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.37-87
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• 1997

As a results of researches on the cultivation processes and settlement developments on the Mangyoung river valley as a whole could be have four 'Space-Time Continuity' through a [Origin-Destination] theory model. On a initial phases of cultivation, the cultivation process has been begun at mountain slopes and tributory plains in upper part of river-basin from Koryo Dynasty to early Chosun Dynasty. At first, indigenous peasants burned forests on the mountain slopes for making 'dryfield' for a cereal crops. Following population increase more stable food supply is necessary facets of life inducing a change production method into a 'wetfield' in tributory plains matching the population increase. First sedentary agriculture maybe initiated at this mountain slopes and tributory plains on upper part of river basin through a burning cultivation methods. Mountain slopes and tributory plains are become a Origin area in cultivation processes. It expanded from up to down through the valleys with 'a bits of land' fashion in a steady pace like a terraced fields expanded with bit by bit of land to downward. They expanded their land to the middle part of river basin in mid period of Chosun Dynasty with dike construction techniques on the river bank. Lower part of river cultivated with embankment building techniques in 1920s and then naturally expanded to the tidal marshes on the estuaries and river inlets of coastal areas. 'Pioneer fringes' are consolidated at there in modern times. Changes in landscapes are appeared it's own characters with each periods of time. Followings are results of study through the Mangyoung river valley as a whole. (1) Mountain slopes and tributory plains on the upper part of river are cultivated 'dryfields' by indigenous peasants with Burning cultivation methods at first and developed sedentary settlements at the edges of mountain slopes and on the river terrace near the fields. They formed a kind of 'periphery-located cluster type' of settlement. This type of settlement are become a prominant type in upper part of river basin. 'Dryfields' has been changed into a 'wetfields' at the narrow tributory plains by increasing population pressure in later time. These wetfields are supplied water by Weir and Ponds Irrigation System(제언수리방법). Streams on the tributory plains has been attracted wetfields besides of it and formed a [water+land] complex on it. 'Wetfields' are expanded from up to downward with a terraced land pattern(adder like pattern, 붕전) according to the gradient of valley. These periphery located settlements are formed a intimate ecological linkage with several sets of surroundings. Inner villages are expanded to Outer villages according to the expansion of arable lands into downward. (2) Mountain slopes and tributory plains expanded its territory to the alluvial deposited plains on the middle part of river valley with a urgent need of new land by population increase. This part of alluvial plains are cultivated mainly in mid period of Chosun Dynasty. Irrigation methods are changed into a Dike Construction Irrigation method(천방수리방법) for the control of floods. It has a trend to change the subjectives of cultivation from community-oriented one who constructed Bochang along tributories making rice paddies to local government authorities who could be gather large sums of capitals, techniques and labours for the big dike construction affairs. Settlements are advanced in the midst of plains avoiding friction of distances and formed a 'Centrallocated cluster type' of settlements. There occured a hierarchical structures of settlements in ranks and sizes according merits of water supply and transportation convenience at the broad plains. Big towns are developed at there. It strengthened a more prominant [water+land] complex along the canals. Ecological linkages between settlements and surroundings are shaded out into a tiny one in this area. (3) It is very necessary to get a modern technology of flood control at the rivers that have a large volume of water and broad width. The alluvial plains are remained in a wilderness phase until a technical level reached a large artificial levee construction ability that could protect the arable land from flood. Until that time on most of alluvial land at the lower part of river are remained a wilderness of overgrown with reeds in lacks of techniques to build a large-scale artificial levee along the riverbank. Cultivation processes are progressed in a large scale one by Japanese agricultural companies with [River Rennovation Project] of central government in 1920s. Large scale artificial levees are constructed along the riverbank. Subjectives of cultivation are changed from Korean peasants to Japanese agricultural companies and Korean peasants fell down as a tenant in a colonial situation of that time in Korea. They could not have any voices in planning of spatial structure and decreased their role in planning. Newly cultivated lands are reflected company's intensions, objectives and perspectives for achieving their goals for the sake of colonial power. Newly cultivated lands are planned into a regular Rectangular Block settings of rice paddies and implanted a large scale Bureaucratic-oriented Irrigation System on the cultivated plains. Every settlements are located in the midst of rice paddies with a Central located Cluster type of settlements. [water+land] complex along the canal system are more strengthened. Cultivated space has a characters of [I-IT] landscapes. (4) Artificial levees are connected into a coastal emnankment for a reclamation of broad tidal marshes on the estuaries and inlets of rivers in the colonial times. Subjectives of reclamation are enlarged into a big agricultural companies that could be acted a role as a big cultivator. After that time on most of reclamation project of tidal marshes are controlled by these agricultural companies formed by mostly Japanese capitalists. Reclaimed lands on the estuaries and river inlets are under hands of agricultural companies and all the spatial structures are formed by their intensions, objectives and perspectives. They constructed a Unit Farming Area for the sake of companies. Spatial structures are planned in a regular one with broad arable land for the rice production of rectangular blocks, regular canal systems and tank reservoir for the irrigation water supply into reclaimed lands. There developed a 'Central-located linear type' of settlements in midst of reclaimed land. These settlements are settled in a detail program upon this newly reclaimed land at once with a master plan and they have planned patterns in their distribution, building materials, location, and form. Ecological linkage between Newly settled settlemrnts and its surroundings are lost its colours and became a more artificial one by human-centred environment. [I-IT] landscapes are become more prominant. This region is a destination area of [Origin-Destination] theory model and formed a 'Pioneer Fringe'. It is a kind of pioneer front that could advance or retreat discontinously by physical conditions and socio-cultural conditions of that region.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.1
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• pp.11-27
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• 2019

The Jurchens, the ancestors of the Qing Manchus, had lived scattered in Manchuria and had made their living mostly on ginseng gathering and animal hunting. Their residential areas, rich with deep forest and numerous rivers, provided great habitation for all kinds of flora and fauna, but not so proper for agriculture. Based on their activities of foraging and hunting, the Jurchens developed a unique social organization that was later transformed into the Banner System, the most distinctive Qing military institution. By the sixteenth century, that the external trade brought considerable changes to Jurchen society. A huge amount of foreign silver, imported from Japan and South America to China, first invigorated commercial economy in China proper, and later caused a huge influence on Ming frontier regions, including Manchuria. In the late sixteenth century when the tradition of foraging and hunting encountered with silver economy, the Jurchen tribes became unified after years of competition and transformed themselves into the Manchus to build the Qing empire in 1636. In 1644 the Manchus succeeded in conquering the China Proper and moved into Beijing. Even after that, the Manchu imperial court never forgot the value of Manchurii ginseng; instead, they paid great efforts to monopolize this profitable root. Until the late seventeenth century, the Qing court used the Banner System to manage Manchurian ginseng. The banner soldiers stationed in Manchuria checked unauthorized civilian entrances in this frontier and protected its ginseng producing mountains from the Han Chinese people. All the process of ginseng gathering was managed by the institutions under the direct control of the imperial court, such as the Imperial Household Department, the Butha Ula Office, and the Three Upper Banner in Shengjing. Banner soldiers were dispatched to the given mountains, collect the given amount of ginseng, and send them to the imperial court in Beijing. The state monopoly of ginseng was maintained throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries under the principle that Manchuria and its natural resources should be guarded from civilian encroachment. At the same time, Manchurian ginseng was considered as an important source of state revenue. The imperial court and financial bureau wanted to collect ginseng as much as they needed. By the late seventeenth century as the ginseng management by the banner soldiers failed in securing the ginseng tax, the Qing court began to invite civil merchants to ginseng business. During the eighteenth century the Qing ginseng policy became more dependent on civil merchants, both their money and management. In 1853 the Qing finally ended the ginseng monopoly, but it was before the early eighteenth century that wealthy merchants hired ginseng gatherers and paid ginseng tax to the state. The Qing monopoly of ginseng was in fact maintained by the active participation of civil merchants in the ginseng business.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.521-545
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• 2013

This study applied choice experiment(CE) method(which is included in the stated preference method) to estimate values of some important attributes(i.e. type of estuary, water quality of river in estuary, water quality of sea in estuary, biodiversity level of estuary) of 4 major river(Hangang, Guemgang, Yeongsangang, Nakdonggang) estuaries in Korea. Although the multinomial logit model(MNL) is generally applied to analyse the CE data, testing for IIA assumption with the Hausman and McFadden test in MNL model shows that the IIA assumption in our data is rejected. Therefore, the heteroscedastic extreme value model(HEV) and the multinomial probit model(MNP) which are not based on the IIA assumption are used to analyse our CE data. As results, the coefficients and the elicited economic values of MNL model are seriously distorted if the IIA assumption is not satisfied in MNL model. The estimation results of MNP model show that the economic values are elicited as 352.3 billion won(95% C.I. 261.1 - 477.8 billion won) for natural estuary, 411.5 billion won(95% C.I. 338.5 - 525.5 billion won) for one grade improvement of river water quality in estuary, 358.9 billion won(95% C.I. 292.5 - 457.0 billion won) for one grade improvement of sea water quality in estuary, and 151.9 billion won(95% C.I. 99.0 - 218.6 billion won) for one grade improvement of biodiversity level of estuary. Therefore, the value of estuary is reached to 2,197.0 billion won(95% C.I. 1,721.0 - 2,879.9 billion won) if any natural estuary in 4 major rivers has good water quality of river in estuary(i.e. 2nd grade), good water quality of sea in estuary(i.e. 1st grade), and good biodiversity level of estuary.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.153-169
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• 2005

In this study, we analysed the state of the fisheries in Chungnam around 1910 from Hangook Susanji. As a result, there were about 30 ports in the west coast area in Chungnam, and we can classify their locations into 5 types Type I is located in small and mid sized rivers. Type II is located in a costal port. Type III is ports facing the open sea, and type IV is ports in a bay. Type V is ports on islands of coast. Species of fish are porges, mackerels, sting rays, croakers, hairtails, shrimps, etc. The base of fishing porge was Jukdo and Yeondo. The fishing banks of croakers are formed from Chilsantan, Jeonlado to the area of seashore, Chungnam. Hairtails were caught near all the areas of seashore. Salt manufacturing is done near all coasts of Chungnam, Seocheon-bay, Ungcheon-bay, Ocheon-bay, Anmyeon island, Taean, Dangjin area, etc represent this work. Especially, the salt which was produced in Taeangun was so famous that it was called ' Taeansalt'. In the Kum-river area there were 32 fishing villages. Freshwater fish were caught in the upper stream area and the mouth of Geumgang, down stream, was the center for producing Baengeo. There were 23 fishing villages, and the species consisted of croaker, hairtail, Forge, gray mullet, sting ray, sharks, anchovy, shrimps, etc in Biin-bay. The coast of Boryeong had about 33 fishing villages, but their fishing industry was not developed more than their good salt manufacturing. Though there are records that Chunsu-bay had 28 fishing villages, Taean peninsula and Garolim-bay had about 70 fishing villages, and Asan-bay area had about 55 fishing villages, they were developed a little, but not more than Weir fisheries or salt manufacture on the base of salt area and the tideland because these areas were just for farming. South of Anmyeon island of West coast island areas is the biggest area of Stow nets on stakes fishing and the island areas down mouth of Kum river were centers for producing porge.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.3 s.184
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• pp.277-293
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• 2007

Seasonal and spatial variations in the concentrations of trace elements, pH and Eh were found in a creek watershed affected by mine drainage and leachate from several waste rock dumps within the As-Pb-rich Indae mine site. Because of mining activity dating back to about 40 years ago and rupture of the waste rock dumps, this creek was heavily contaminated. Due to the influx of leachate and mine drainage, the water quality of upstream reach in this creek was characterized by largest seasonal and spatial variations in concentrations of Zn(up to $5.830 mg/{\ell}$), Cu(up to $1.333 mg/{\ell}$), Cd(up to $0.031 mg/{\ell}$) and $SO_4^{2-}$(up to $173 mg/{\ell}$), relatively acidic pH values (3.8-5.1) and highly oxidized condition. The most abundant metals in the leachate samples were in order of Zn($0.045-13.909 mg/{\ell}$), Fe($0.017-8.730mg/{\ell}$), Cu($0.010-4.154mg/{\ell}$) and Cd($n.d.-0.077mg/{\ell}$), with low pH(3.1-6.1), and high $SO_4^{2-}$(up to $310 mg/{\ell}$). The mine drainage also contained high concentrations of Zn, Cu, Cd and $SO_4^{2-}$ and remained constantly near-neutral pH values(6.5-7.0) in all the year. While the leachate and mine drainage might not affect short-term fluctuations in flow, it may significantly influence the concentrations of chemicals in the stream. The abundance and chemistry of Fe-(oxy)hydroxide within this creek indicated that the Fe-(oxy)hydroxide formation could be responsible for some removal of trace elements from the creek waters. Spatial and seasonal variations along down-stream reach of this creek were caused largely by the influx of water from uncontaminated tributaries. In addition, the trace metal concentrations in this creek have been decreased nearly down to the background level at a short distance from the discharge points without any artificial treatments after hydrologic mixing in a tributary. The nonconservative(i.e. precipitation, adsorption, oxidation, dissolution etc.) and conservative(hydrologic mixing) reactions constituted an efficient mechanism of natural attenuation which reduces considerably the transference of trace elements to rivers.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.53-70
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• 2003

In order to understand freshwater molluscan fauna in Asan area, a survey was conducted on the watersheds of this area during the period of October 1999 to August 2000. For the purpose of easy overlook of the molluscan fauna in Asan area, present survey was undertaken on a total of 101 sampling sites of 4 major watersheds connected along Onyang River, Gokgyo River, Sapgyo Lake, and Asan Lake. The collected freshwater mollusks were analysed based on the environment of their habitats. The freshwater mollusks collected through out the present survey were 27 species, 12 families, 5 orders, and 2 classes. Of these, gastropods were 18 species, 10 families, 3 orders; and bivalves were 9 species, 2 families, and 2 orders. The dominant gastropods in this area were Radix auricularia coreana, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, Hippeutis cantori, Physa acuta, Gyraulus convexiusculus and Austropeplea ollula and the dominant bivalves were Anodonta arcaeformis, Anodonta arcaeformis flavotincta, and Anodonta woodiana. Dominant species in rice fields were Fossaria truncatula, Segmentina hemisphaerula and Physa acuta, dominant species in rivers were Radix auricularia coreana, Physa acuta, and Hippeutis cantori. Dominant species in reservoirs were Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, Radix auricularia coreana, Austropeplea ollula, and Fossaria truncatula. Dominant species collected in lakes were Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, Hippeutis cantori, Cipangopaludina japonica, and Radix auricularia coreana. Radix auricularia coreana, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, and Austropeplea ollula were dominantly inhabiting on the muddy bottoms. Anodonta woodiana, Cipangopaludina japonica, and Corbicula fluminea occurred mainly in the gravel areas. Radix auricularia coreana, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, and Hippeutis cantori were dominant in the muddy rock areas. Rock-dominant species were Radix auricularia coreana, Semisulcospira forticosta and Koreanomelania paucicincta. Sand-dominant species were Physa acuta, Radix auricularia coreana, and Hippeutis cantori. Sand gravel-dominant species were Physa acuta, Radix auricularia coreana, and oreanomelania paucicincta. Hippeutis cantori, Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata, and Gyraulus convexiusculus occurred in the sand-muddy areas. Cristaria plicata, appointed as an endangered species from the "Natural Environmental Conservation Law", was collected from 5 sampling sites (site Nos. 45, 47, 48, and 52). For the endangered species found in this survey should be make appropriate protection.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.288-299
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• 2011

Freshwater fish fauna and community structure were surveyed through 21 lakes in the Yeungnam area including Gyeongsangbukdo and Gyeongsangnamdo provinces, Korean Peninsula from April 2008 to October 2009. Among 21 lakes, 16 lakes belong to the Nakdong River and 5 are independent drainages. From the present study, 61 species (44 genera, 15 families) were collected including 32 cyprinid species (52.5%), 6 cobitid species (9.8%) and so on. The dominant and subdominant species in aspect of the number of individuals were Hypomesus nipponensis (26.6%) and Squalidus gracilis majimae (14.8%), respectively. On the other hand, in aspect of in biomass, dominant and subdominant species were Lepomis macrochirus (19.8%) and Cyprinus carpio (14.7%), respectively. Among 61 examined species, there were found 20 Korean endemic species and 2 Korean endangered species (Pseudobagrus brevicorpus and Pungitius kaibarae). P. brevicorpus was found in Yongyeonji and Yeongcheonho, and P. kaibarae in Yongyeonji. In addition, 5 exotic species were identified such as Cyprinus carpio nudus (leather carp), Carassius cuvieri, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides. Interestingly, a bluegill L. machrochirus appeared dominant or subdominant species in 5 of 21 examined lakes. Five species introduced from the other rivers in Korean Peninsula were additionally described. In the present study, it was first reported that Micropercops swinhonis inhabits in the Nakdong river basin. The fish species diversity, evenness and dominant indices were examined, and a dendrogram based on similarity indices of inhabiting species among the 21 examined lakes was constructed and discussed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.59-65
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• 2005

This study was performed to estimate the soil loss on a national scale and grade regions with the potential risk of soil erosion. Universal soil loss equation (USLE) for rainfall and runoff erosivity factors (R), cover management factors (C) and support practice factors (P) and revised USLE for soil erodibility factors (K) and topographic factors (LS) were used. To estimate the soil loss, the whole nation was divided into 21,337 groups according to city county, soil phase and land use type. The R factors were high in the southern coast of Gyeongnam and Jeonnam and part of the western coast of Gyeonggi and low in the inland and eastern coast of Gyeongbuk. The K factors were higher in the regions located on the lower streams of rivers and the plain lands of the western coast of Chungnam and Jeonbuk. The average slope of upland areas in Pyeongchang-gun was the steepest of 30.1%. The foot-slope areas from the Taebaek Mountains to the Sobaek Mountains had steep uplands. Total soil loss of Korea was estimated as $50{\times}10^6Mg$ in 2004. The potential risk of soil erosion in upland was the severest in Gyeongnam and the amount of soil erosion was the greatest in Jeonnam. The regions in which annual soil loss was estimated over $50Mg\;ha^{-1}$ were graded as "the very severe" and their acreage was $168{\times}10^3ha$ in 2004. The soil erosion maps of city/county of Korea were made based on digital soil maps with 1:25,000 scale.