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[Newsletter No.37] 62,604 Species Officially Recorded in Korea
CBD-CHM Newsletter Vol. 37
62,604 Species Officially Recorded in Korea
The National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), under the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE), announced that as of the end of 20251), a total of 62,604 species have been recorded in Korea.
The NIBR publishes the National Species List of Korea2) annually, adding both newly described species reported for the first time globally and species already known elsewhere but newly recorded in Korea.
In 2025, 307 newly described species were added to the list, including 215 invertebrates, 76 prokaryotes, 8 plants, 7 fungi, and 1 fish.
Among them, Potentilla rhizoma is a perennial herb endemic to the central region of the Korean Peninsula, including Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do. It produces yellow, five-petaled flowers and spreads through lateral rhizomes.
Another newly described species, Thoracophelia foliformis, is an invertebrate characterized by a leaf-shaped tail. It inhabits sandy shores along the west coast, where it feeds by filtering organic matter.
Newly recorded species include Pseudochelonarium japonicum and Homodes vivida. Given that these species are typically found in tropical regions such as India and Indonesia, their recent occurrence in Korea is believed to be associated with climate change.
The updated list comprises 5,795 plant species, 2,191 vertebrates, 32,684 invertebrates, 6,612 fungi, 6,709 algae, 2,619 protozoa, and 5,994 prokaryotes.
More information is available on CBD-CHM Korea (kbr.go.kr), the national biodiversity clearing-house mechanism, and on the Biological Diversity on the Korean Peninsula website (species.nibr.go.kr).
1)
As of the end of 2024, 61,230 species had been recorded.
2)
A list of species occurring in Korea, compiled and maintained in accordance with the Act on the Conservation and Use of Biological Diversity
