Promotion of an international protected area where Geumgang bellflower and ginseng are native to the DMZ area in South Korea

(Pocheon = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Do-yoon = The Korea Forest Service National Arboretum is planning to designate the native areas of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) as 'International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Important Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)'. It was announced on the 6th that it was in progress. If designated as KBAs, they will be recognized as important global habitats. Ginseng ginseng and Geumgang chrysanthemum are rare and endemic plants that only grow in the DMZ area around the world, and they were also classified as 'endangered' in the 'IUCN Red List', an authoritative report that evaluates the endangered status of global species. In particular, the Geumgang lantern flower is so rare that there is only one type. There are 16,343 KBAs (21 million km2) designated in 240 countries. In Korea, 40 bird habitats (2,022㎢) have been designated, but there are no plant habitats yet. The native area of ginseng and Geumgang bellflower, which is being promoted as KBAs this ...