hankyoreh

A tree appeared on the border between sea and land as seawater receded. Sea waves carved branches and a trunk as they moved amid the sediment. The rays of sunset made the tree even more apparent.

Mudflats are home to many flora and fauna and a workplace to fishers. They filter out pollutants like air purifiers and act as a hidden forest, with phytoplankton that emits oxygen through photosynthesis. Mudflats boast great biodiversity, hosting many endangered species from rare crustaceans to whooper swans. The science journal Nature estimates the value of mudflat ecosystems at US$9,990 per hectare.

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) planned on working to have Korea’s mudflats designated as a World Heritage Site at the upcoming 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in July. However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which reviews applications for World Heritage Sites, rejected the application.

Mudflats are disappearing in South Korea due to reclamation projects and the rise in sea levels. According to MOF statistics, South Korea lost 1,284 acres of mudflats in 2018 compared with 2013, meaning that an area of mudflats equivalent in size to the Seoul island Yeouido disappeared over five years.

Last year, the South Korean government passed legislation to protect and restore mudflats, but more needs to be done to keep the mudflats from going away.

By Park Jong-shik, staff photographer

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