Upo Wetland submitted for consideration on UNESCO heritage list

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's heritage administration said Thursday that it has submitted Upo Wetland, a pristine haven for natural organisms in the nation's southeast region, on its Tentative List to be considered for UNESCO World Heritage status.

Upo, in Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, is the nation's largest
wetland area and home to various rare species of birds, plants and fish native to
the Korean Peninsula. At least 10 animal and plant species on the verge of
extinction inhabit the scenic area.
"Upo Wetland is also an exceptional piece of heritage in that its natural scenery
is aesthetically valuable with clear changes during the four seasons," the
Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea said in a press release.



The UNESCO Tentative List Process is a preliminary step for countries who wish to
submit cultural properties to be considered for World Heritage status.
South Korea has submitted 10 other properties on its Tentative List, including
the ancient Gangjin porcelain kiln complex, salt farms and Namhansanseong (a
Joseon Dynasty fortress south of Seoul).
Last month, the heritage administration reinstated Upo Wetland as natural
monument more than three decades after it was removed from the list due to its
decreasing number of swans and other migratory birds.
Upo was inscribed on the Ramsar Convention, an international agreement to protect
wetlands, in 1998.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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