South Korea Habitat Guide

Sandwiched between the Sea of Japan to the east and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korean Peninsula juts out from North Eastern Asia, separated from mainland Asia by two rivers- the Yalu and the Tumen. Other than the peninsula, there are about 3400 islands which also from part of Korea. Nearly 70% of the land in the two countries is mountainous, with the Taebaek Mountain Range running along the entire length of the peninsula’s east coast. The southwest part of the Korean Peninsula is largely made up of fertile river basins- two of the most important rivers are the Naktonggang and the Hangang Rivers. Korea, incidentally, is a land of great scenic beauty- the natives, in fact, describe the land as `kumsu-gangsan’- `land decorated with golden embroidery’. That may sound a bit far-fetched, but it is a beautiful land.

Flora and Fauna

The Koreans are known for their great love for nature, and this is reflected in the fact that they are very protective towards the forests and wildlife of their land. The country saw a great deal of deforestation and destruction of natural habitat during the Second World War and the Korean War; but now that peace has come to the nation, they’re doing their best to get back what was lost.

Northern parts of South Korea have mainly alpine vegetation: beech, pine and fir; while southern areas have tropical vegetation, with a number of species of hardwood trees and shrubs. Around coastal areas, mangrove stands are common.

The country has about 20 national parks, but these are known not as much for their fauna as for their scenic beauty. Very little of South Korea’s native wildlife survives, actually: it’s only in the alpine areas that you might be able to see native black bears, deer and birds.