All Newsletters
[Newsletter No.28] Release of the ‘2024 Biodiversity Statistics of Korea’
CBD-CHM Newsletter Vol. 28
Release of the '2024 Biodiversity Statistics of Korea'
The National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) of the Ministry of Environment has released the '2024 Biodiversity Statistics of Korea', a comprehensive overview on biodiversity status of Korea.
Since 2013, NIBR as National Biodiversity Center1) has compiled and published 'Biodiversity Statistics' annually by aggregating data from relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The current edition contains the updated data as of December 2024 and presents trends in Korea's biodiversity over the past decade.
According to key statistics, the number of designated Species of Concern for Introduction increased 15-fold from 55 species in 2015 to 853 species in 2024. Likewise, the number of designated Ecosystem-disturbing Species rose from 18 taxonomic groups to 40 groups (1 genus 39 species).
This trend reflects increasing introduction of alien species due to climate change and global trade, along with the strengthening of national policies to regulate and manage their import and trade.
The number of species2) listed as the National Species List of Korea grew from 45,295 in 2015 to 61,230 in 2024. The number of endangered wildlife species under the government management increased from 246 species in 2015 to 282 species in 2024 (Class I: 68 species, Class II: 214 species).
Meanwhile, since the 2000s, the importance of protected areas has gained international attention. At the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF) was adopted, setting a target to designate and effectively manage at least 30% of the world's terrestrial and marine areas as protected by 2030.
In line with this global initiative, the Korean government incorporated the target into its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)3). As a result, for the last 10 years, the area of protected wetlands increased nearly fivefold from 356㎢ in 2015 to 1,750㎢ in 2024 and the marine protected areas, excluding wetlands, also expanded 1.7 times from 254㎢ to 436㎢ during the same period.
The publication is available in e-book format on the CBD-CHM Korea website (cbd-chm.go.kr).
1)
Designated under Article 17(2) of the Act On The Conservation And Use Of Biological Diversity, the National Biodiversity
Center is responsible for the collection, management, and provision of information to support organized conservation
and sustainable use of biological resources.
2)
The estimated total number of species across the Korean peninsula is around 100,000.
3)
In accordance of Article 7 of the Act On The Conservation And Use Of Biological Diversity, NBSAP is a comprehensive
policy including sectoral goals and implementation plans for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of biological
resources.
