Seoraksan National Park ( ko, 설악산국립공원, 雪嶽山國立公園;
RR: ') is a
national park in South Korea. It is listed by the South Korean government with
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
as a tentative
World Heritage
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
site. The government designated the area as a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in 1965 and UNESCO designated it as a
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in 1982. It was also the first Korean national park to be named under the National Park Law in 1970. Located on the east-central
Korean peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, the reserve includes the
Dinosaur Ridge
Dinosaur Ridge is a segment of the Dakota Hogback in the Morrison Fossil Area National Natural Landmark located in Jefferson County, Colorado, near the town of Morrison, Colorado, Morrison and just west of Denver.
The Dinosaur Ridge area is one ...
,
Injegun,
Yanyanggun, and
Sokchosi. It is popular with tourists and nature enthusiasts. It is home to many rare taxa of flora and fauna.
The reserve has an area of and includes many mountain peaks measuring over 1,200 metres above sea level, the tallest being Daecheongbong, at an altitude of . The ranges are composed largely of dissected granite and
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...
. The annual precipitation is about in Inner Soraksan and in Outer Soraksan.
[Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea](_blank)
(Korean)
The park is valued for its floral diversity. There are about 1,013 species of plants known, with 822
vascular plant
Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...
species.
Pine trees
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garde ...
such as the
Siberian pine
''Pinus sibirica'', or Siberian pine, in the family Pinaceae is a species of pine tree that occurs in Siberia from 58°E in the Ural Mountains east to 126°E in the Stanovoy Range in southern Sakha Republic, and from Igarka at 68°N in the lower ...
are abundant on the southern slope while the northern slopes of the mountain range are characterized by
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
s and other
deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
trees. ''
Thuja
''Thuja'' ( ) is a genus of coniferous tree or shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three native to eastern Asia. The genus is monophyletic and sister to ''Thujopsis''. M ...
'' grow in the deep valleys.
Dwarf pines and
yews grow on low and high slopes.
Juniper,
hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
, and
Manchurian fir can be found. Other plants include
forsythias and
saw-worts. Rare plants in the reserve include ''
Hanabusaya asiatica''.
1,562 animal species have been classified so far. Local fauna include
otters,
Siberian flying squirrel
The Siberian flying squirrel (''Pteromys volans'') is an Old World flying squirrel ranging from the Baltic Sea in the west, throughout Northern Asia to the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is the only species of flying squirrel in Euro ...
,
kestrel
The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviou ...
,
Chinese sparrowhawk
The Chinese sparrowhawk (''Accipiter soloensis'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
Distribution and habitat
It breeds in Southeast China, Taiwan, Korea and Siberia; winters in Indonesia and Philippines, passing through the rest of ...
,
lenok
Lenoks, otherwise known as Asiatic trout or Manchurian trout,James Card: Fly fishing in South Korea.' Retrieved 22 June 2015. are salmonid fish of the genus ''Brachymystax'', native to rivers and lakes in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, wider Siberia (incl ...
,
Chinese minnow, and
spotted barbel. Endangered animal taxa include
Tristram's woodpecker
Tristram's woodpecker (''Dryocopus javensis richardsi'') (, Japanese: ) is a Korean subspecies of the white-bellied woodpecker. It was firstly identified and described by English scholar and ornithologist Henry Baker Tristram in 1879.
Descript ...
,
Korean goral, and
Korean musk deer.
Cultural landmarks in the reserve include the
Buddhist temples
Baekdamsa and
Sinheungsa.
History
On 9-16 August 1991, the 17th World Jamboree was held in Mount Sorak. World Jamboree is the biggest event for boy/girl scouts and held every 4 years. In 1991 thousands of scouts from all over the world gathered in Mount Sorak to have fun in many activities and games, where they can exchange cultures, discuss environment or climate issues and create friendship.
See also
*
Seoraksan
Seoraksan is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the Gangwon Province in eastern South Korea. It is located in a national park near the city of Sokcho. After the Hallasan volcano on Jeju Island and Jirisan in the south, Se ...
References
External links
Seoraksan.Korea National Park Service.
UNESCOWorld Heritage in Korea(pdf)
{{authority control
National parks of South Korea
Biosphere reserves of South Korea
Protected areas established in 1965
Parks in Gangwon Province, South Korea
World Heritage Tentative List