Mt.Backdu Jejudo Ieodo

World Natural Heritage

What are the natural heritages of Korea well-known to the world?

There are Jejudo Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes(registered with UNESCO in 2004), Baekdu mountain as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve(in 1989), and Properties submitted on the Tentative List of Myohyang Mountain, Kumgang Mountain, Chilbo Mountain and Caves in Kujang Area in 2000.

Koreans' recognition of Baekdu Mountainas(白頭山) a nationally sacred mountain has stemmed from their belief that Baekdu Mountain was the stage for the Dangun legend. In Samguk Yusa, Hwanung, or Supreme Divine Regent, descended upon Mt. Taebaek(太白山) and reigned over the human world. With Ungyeo (bear-woman), he bore Dangun, and the legend of Dangun is known to have occurred on Mt. Taebaek, now known as Mt. Baekdu. As belief spread among Koreans that Baekdu Mountain was the stage for the legend for the founding of Korea, Baekdu Mountain became recognized as a nationally scared mountain.

In addition, worship of Baekdu Mountain began as Baekdu Mountain became recognized as the nation’s foundation (i.e., Mt. Jojong, 祖宗山) from the Koryo/Goryeo period. According to Koryo/Goryeo History, the name Baekdu Mountain first appeared at the end of the 10th century, and the region surrounding Baekdu Mountain was believed to have been a part of Koryo/Goryeo. Due to the influence of the theory of divination based on topography during this time, Baekdu Mountain was purported to be the foundation of other mountains in Korea, and from which other mountain ranges flowed. Baekdu Mountain thus became a significant object of worship. Sacrificial rites for Baekdu Mountain have been practiced since the Koryo/Goryeo period. While these rites were temporarily suspended during the Choson/Joseon era of King Sejong(世宗大王), they were reinstated from King Yongjo's reign(英祖).

These assertions demonstrate China's denial of the fact that Baekdu Mountain is a common heritage that was jointly possessed by Korea and China for more than one thousand years. The name "Mt. Baekdu" appeared in Korea at the end of the 10th century and the name "Mt. Jangbaek" appeared in China at the start of the 11th century. Since then, both countries have jointly owned the Baekdu Mountain area. After the Chosun/Joseon and Qing Dynasties erected a border monument on the southeast edge of Baekdu Mountain in 1712(白頭山 定界碑), North Korea(DPRK) and China entered into the 1962 PRC-North Korea Border Treaty(朝中邊境條約), which stated that the Baekdu Mountain area would be utilized as an area for meetings and exchanges between the two countries until the mountain's partitioning. Thus, Baekdu Mountain acted as a boundary for the two countries.

Lake CheonJi, Baekdu Mountain

There are Baekdu mountain as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Jejudo Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, and Properties submitted on the Tentative List of  Myohyang Mountain, Kumgang Mountain, Chilbo Mountain and Caves in Kujang Area(in 2000).

In 1979, China registered Changbai Mountain(長白山) as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; the State Council designated Mt. Baekdu as a national-level natural protection zone in 1986 and has since managed it. and DPRK also registered Baekdu Mountain(白頭山) in 1989. Currently, China plans to obtain a UNESCO World Natural Heritage designation for Baekdu Mountain(or Mt. Changbai in Chinese) as Chinese territory, as raising international awareness of Baekdu Mountain and is effective to promote tourism industry.

It might be fair to call this the “Mt. Baekdu Project” of incorporating the old territory of Koguryo(Goguryeo), an ancient Korean kingdom, into Chinese history, as it follows the Northeast Asia Project that focused on incorporating its history into China’s.

Mt. Baekdu has long been managed by the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, where people of Korean origin collectively reside. Last year, the Jilin Provincial Government established the “Committee for Protection, Development and Management of Mt. Changbai,” an organization directly belonging to the provincial government and responsible for management of the mountain.

Mt. Changbai Airport, which is currently constructed in Fusong County 36 kilometers away from the North Korean border, is opened. The Chinese Government is also sparing no investment to expand the transportation networks near Mt. Baekdu, and is planning to complete construction of the Mt. Changbai Eastern Railroad, three highway networks and circular roadways in the next three years.

The Chinese government recently held the first tourism festival near Mt. Baekdu; they are also active in attracting tourists from Russia and other foreign countries by holding the Yanbian Korean ethnic exposition. They also seek to stimulate the economy by developing mineral water in the areas nearby Mt. Baekdu and expanding cultivation of ginseng there.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is reportedly seeking to register as UNESCO world cultural heritage the remnants of the Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu, which is the old capital of another ancient Korean kingdom—Balhae(海東盛國)—located in the Bohai Bay, Ningan City, Heilongjiang Province.

With Baekdu Mountain is registered as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of two nations, how about if both China and North Korea jointly register Baekdu Mountain(白頭山) as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site? The prevailing view is that China should jointly seek the UNESCO designation with North Korea.

The designation of Baekdu Mountain as a natural heritage site jointly shared by North Korea and China would lead to greater cooperation and exchange in Northeast Asia.

Northeast Asia has a regional history where each neighboring country has formed its own historical account of events and even distorts them.

Wars and invasions have been a part of a painful history for of Northeast Asia. Historical wounds remain unhealed, causing lingering tensions.

Nations should make concerted efforts in nurturing an attitude of mutual respect in order to bring peace and prosperity to Northeast Asia.

Baekdu Mountain

Baekdu Mountain volcano, April 2003

Elevation 2,744 m (9,003 ft)

Prominence 2,593 m (8,507 ft)

Coordinates 42°00′20′N 128°03′19′E / 42.00556°N 128.05528°E / 42.00556; 128.05528Coordinates: 42°00′20′N 128°03′19′E / 42.00556°N 128.05528°E / 42.00556; 128.05528

Geology

Type Stratovolcano

Last eruption 1903

Baekdu Mountain

Chinese name

Traditional Chinese : 長白山

Simplified Chinese : 長白山

Korean name

Korean alphabet:  백두산

Hancha(Chinese):  白頭山

- McCune-Reischauer Romanization: Paektusan

- Revised Romanization: Baekdusan

Manchu name

Manchu Golmin : anggiyan Alin

Baekdu Mountain, also known as Changbai Mountain in China, is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at 42°00′24′N 128°03′18′E / 42.00667°N 128.055°E / 42.00667; 128.055. At 2,744 m (9,003 ft), it is the highest mountain of the Changbai mountain range to the north and Baekdudaegan mountain (白頭大諫)range to the south. It is also the highest mountain on the Korean peninsula and Manchuria.

The Korean name, Baekdu-san (백두산, 白頭山; Korean pronunciation: [paektusan), means "white-headed mountain". The Chinese name, Changbai Shan (長白山/?白山), means "ever-white mountain". English-language volcanology resources often refer to the mountain as Baitoushan from the Chinese pinyin rendering of the Korean Hanja 白頭山. Other alternative names include Paektu-san and Bai Yun Feng.

A large crater lake, called Heaven Lake (Korean:천지, Chinese:天池), is located within the caldera atop the mountain.

Jongdeoksa Temple located lake side of Choji, 1906

Geography and geology

Heaven Lake(天地, 천지)

Baekdu Mountain is stratovolcano whose cone is truncated by a large caldera, about 5 km (3.1 miles) wide and 850 m (2,789 ft) deep, partially filled by the waters of Heaven Lake. The caldera was created by a major eruption in 969 AD (± 20 years).] Volcanic ash from this eruption has been found as far away as the southern part of Hokkaid? of Japan. The lake has a circumference of 12 to 14 kilometres (7.5-8.7 miles), with an average depth of 213 m (699 ft) and maximum depth of 384 m (1,260 ft). From mid-October to mid-June, the lake is typically covered with ice.

The central section of the mountain rises about 3 mm every year, due to rising levels of magma below the central part of the mountain. Sixteen peaks exceeding 2,500 m (8,200 ft) line the caldera rim surrounding Heaven Lake. The highest peak, called Janggun Peak, is covered in snow about eight months of the year. The slope is relatively gentle until about 1,800 metres (5,905 ft).

Water flows north out of the lake, and near the outlet there is a 70 metre (230 ft) waterfall. The mountain is the source of the Songhua, Tumen (Duman) and Yalu (Amnok) rivers.

Climate

The weather on the mountain can be very erratic. The annual average temperature at the peak is about -8.3 degrees Celsius (17 degrees Fahrenheit). During summer, temperatures of about 18 degrees Celsius can be reached, and during winter temperatures can drop to -48 degrees Celsius (-54 degrees Fahrenheit). Average temperature is -24 degrees Celsius (-11 degrees Fahrenheit) in January, 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) in July, remaining below freezing for eight months of the year. Average wind speed is 11.7 metres per second, reaching an average of 17.6 m/s in December. Relative humidity averages 74%. In recent decades, there has been significant climate warming on the mountain. Summer snow cover on the peak has reduced dramatically during that time.

Flora and fauna

Painting from the Manchu Veritable Records

There are five known species of plants in the lake on the peak, and some 168 were counted along its shores. The area is a known habitat for tigers, bears, leopards, wolves, and wild boars. Deer in the mountain forests, which cover the mountain up to about 2000 metres, are of the Paekdusan roe deer kind. Many wild birds such as black grouse, owls, and woodpecker are known to inhabit the area. The forest on the Chinese side is ancient and almost unaltered by humans. Birch predominates near the tree line, and pine lower down, mixed with other species. In recent decades, significant climate warming has resulted in changes in the structure of the ancient forests on the upper slopes, with a change over from birch to more pine, and a thickening of the forest canopy. There has been extensive deforestation on the lower slopes on the North Korean side of the mountain.

History

The Baekdu Mountain has been worshipped by the surrounding peoples throughout history. Both the Koreans and Manchus (an ethnic group in China) consider it the place of their ancestral origin.

Korea

Koreans consider Mount Baekdu as the place of their ancestral origin and as a sacred mountain, one of the three “spirited” mountains; the one contained in the legendary foundation of Korea. From the beginning of history through the Three Kingdoms (Koguryo, Shila and Baekje) period, to the Koryo/Goryeo and Choson/Joseon Dynasties, Koreans have spiritually depended upon the “divine” mountain.

The mountain was considered sacred by Koreans throughout history. The legendary beginning of Korea's first kingdom, Gojoseon (2333 BC-108 BC), takes place here. Many subsequent kingdoms of Korea, such as Buyeo, Goguryeo, Balhae, Goryeo and Joseon, considered the mountain sacred and held worshipping rituals for the mountain.

The Koryo(Goryeo) dynasty (932-1392) first called the mountain Baekdu , recording that the Jurchens across the Yalu River were made to live outside of Baekdu Mountain. The Choson(Joseon) Dynasty (1392-1910) recorded volcanic eruptions in 1597, 1668, and 1702. The 15th century, King Sejong the Great strengthened the fortification along the Tumen and Yalu rivers, making the mountain a natural border with the northern peoples. Some Koreans claim that the entire region near Baekdu Mountain and the Tumen River belongs to Korea and part of it was illegally sold by Japanese colonialists to China through the Gando Convention.

Dense forest around the mountain provided bases for Korean armed resistance against the Japanese occupation, and later communist guerrillas during the Korean War.

China

It was first recorded in the Chinese classic text Shan Hai Jing with the name Buxian Shan (不咸山,?神仙山, the Mountain with God). It's also called Shanshan Daling (單單大嶺, the Big Big Big Mountain. 《說文》：“單，大也。”) in the Canonical Book of the Eastern Han Dynasty. In the Canonical Book of the Tang Dynasty, it was called Taibai Shan (太白山, the Grand Old White Mountain). The current Chinese name Changbai Shan（長白山, Perpetually White Mountain）was first used in the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) and then the Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234).

The Jurchen Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) bestowed the title "the King Who Makes the Nation Prosperous and Answers with Miracles" (興國靈應王, Xingguo Lingying Wang) on the mountain god in 1172 and it was promoted to "the Emperor Who Cleared the Sky with Tremendous Sagehood" (開天宏聖帝, Kaitian Hongsheng Emperor) in 1193. During the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the Kangxi Emperor designated Changbai Mountain as the legendary birthplace of the imperial family Aisin Gioro following a survey, although it is no longer supported. He set a forbidden zone around the mountain, although it was still in dispute whether it was part of Korea (Joseon) or China. The Qing Dynasty held annual rites for the mountain, as did the earlier Jin Dynasty.

Border disputes

Because of the continuous entry of Korean people into Gando, a region in Manchuria that lay between the Tumen and Yalu Rivers, in 1712, Manchu and Korean officials surveyed the area and negotiated a border agreement. To mark the agreement, they built a monument describing the boundary at a watershed, near the south of the crater lake at the mountain peak. The interpretation of the inscription caused a territorial dispute from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, and is still disputed by academics today. The 1909 Gando Convention between China and Japan (Japan was responsible for Korea's foreign affairs at the time, according to the Eulsa Treaty, though this treaty was later declared null and void by Korea) recognized the area north and east as Chinese territory. The border was further clarified in 1962, when China and North Korea negotiated a border treaty on the mountain border in response to minor disputes. The two countries agreed to share the mountain and the lake at the peak, with Korea controlling approximately 54.5% and gaining approximately 230 km² in the treaty. 

Recent disputes

Some South Korean groups argue that recent activities conducted on the Chinese side of the border, such as economic development, cultural festivals, infrastructure development, promotion of the tourism industry, attempts at registration as a World Heritage Site, and bids for a Winter Olympic Games, are an attempt to claim the mountain as Chinese territory. These groups object to China's use of Changbai Mountain, which has been used since Liao Dynasty and the earlier Jin Dynasty (1115-1234). However, in more pre-modern eras this mountain was known and referred to as BaiTou Mountain (the Chinese literation of "Baekdu Mountain") by the Chinese residents of the mountain themselves, some even claim that Changbai mountain seems to be a more recent (mere decades ago) renaming of Baekdu (BaiTou) Mountain, even though Changbai is found and used in Qing dynasty records. Some groups also regard the entire mountain as Korean territory that was given away by North Korea in the Korean War. Both European maps and Chinese maps dating before the annexation of Baekdu Mountain and Gando show these areas to be under Korean Joseon Dynasty control.

During the 2007 Asian Winter Games, which were held in Changchun, China, a group of South Korean athletes held up signs during the award ceremony which stated "Mount Baekdu is our territory". Chinese sports officials delivered a letter of protest on the grounds that political activities violated the spirit of the Olympics and were banned in the charter of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia. The head of the Korea Olympic Committee responded by stating that the incident was accidental and held no political meaning. South Korea has attempted to avoid having this issue become a source of friction between South Korea and China. The athletes' gesture did not become as big an issue as Dokdo-Takeshima (Liancourt Rocks) and the East Sea of Korea (the Sea of Japan) naming dispute. The 2007 official National Atlas of Korea clearly shows the boundary as per the 1962 agreement, roughly splitting the mountain and the caldera lake. Nevertheless, there will remain Korean citizens who will continue to claim that the mountain should be returned to Korean dominion.

Sightseeing

Foreign visitors, mostly South Koreans, usually climb the mountain from the Chinese side, although Baekdu Mountain is a common tourist destination for the few foreign tourists in North Korea.

There are a number of monuments on the North Korean side of the mountain. Baekdu Spa is a natural spring and is used for bottled water. Pegae Hill is a famous camp site of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army during their struggle against Japanese colonial rule. There are also a number of secret camps which are now open to the public. There are several waterfalls, including the Hyongje Falls which splits into two separate falls about a third from the top.

In 2007, UNESCO named Korea's volcanic island Jejudo and its lava tubes a natural property of outstanding beauty which bears testimony to the history of our planet.

Mt. Hallasan in Jejudo Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes together comprise three sites that make up 18,846 ha. They are Geomunoreum, regarded as the finest lava tube cave system anywhere, with its multicolored carbonate ceilings and floors and dark-colored lava walls; the dramatic fortress-like Seongsan Ilchulbong crater rising out of the ocean; and Hallasan with its waterfalls, multi-shaped rock formations and small crater lake. These sites of outstanding aesthetic beauty also bear testimony to the history of the planet, its features and the processes which formed our world.

Jeju Island

Introduction
Jeju Island (formerly transliterated as Cheju Island) is a volcanic island situated off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula in the eastern margin of the Asian continent (Fig. 1). The island was produced by volcanic activity which occurred from about two million years ago until historic time. The island is 73㎞ long in the east-west direction and 31㎞ long in the north-south direction, having an area of 1,847 ㎢. Constructed upon the about 100 m deep continental shelf in the Yellow Sea, the actual size of the volcano is presumed to be larger than this when including the submerged part. The island has the typical morphology of a shield volcano, characterized by an overall gentle topography and an elliptical shape in plan elongated in the ENE direction (Fig. 2).
Basaltic to trachytic lavas occur extensively on the island together with diverse volcanic landforms, including Mt. Hallasan that rises 1,950 m above sea level at the center of the island and about 360 volcanic cones that are scattered throughout the island (Park et al., 1998; Park et al., 2000a; Park et al., 2000b; Park et al., 2000c). On the other hand, numerous hydromagmatic volcanoes (tuff rings and tuff cones) produced by explosive hydrovolcanic activity occur extensively in the subsurface together with intervening volcaniclastic sedimentary deposits (Sohn & Park, 2004; Sohn et al., 2008). This is because the volcanic activity of the island commenced in the continental shelf of the Yellow Sea where abundant water for hydrovolcanic explosions was available. Composed of an early-stage product of hydrovolcanism and a late-stage product of lava effusion, Jeju Island can be defined as a "shelfal shield volcano", distinguished from ordinary shield volcanoes that were built entirely on land in the middle of a continent or oceanic volcanic islands built on the deep ocean floors. In this respect, Jeju Island has significant geological importance.
Mt. Hallasan is the symbol of Jeju Island and a representative product of the Quaternary volcanism in the Korean Peninsula and adjacent seas. Mt. Hallasan was designated as a natural monument (no. 182) in 1966 and a national park in 1970 because the mountain preserves the pristine morphology of a shield volcano unaffected by significant weathering or erosion. The mountain has been protected from human activity since then and is renowned for its unique ecology and biodiversity. The mountain could be thus designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002. The Seongsan Ilchulbong is a beautiful tuff cone (Sohn & Chough, 1992), which stands for the early-stage hydrovolcanism of Jeju Island and represents the about 360 volcanic cones or "oreums" (Jeju dialect for volcanic cones) in Jeju Island. The tuff cone is renowned for its breathtaking beauty and scientific value. The Geomunoreum lava tube system is a representative product of the lava effusion, which occurred mostly during the late-stage of Jeju volcanism. The lava tube system is regarded as one of the extremely rare examples of lava tubes that have diverse carbonate speleothems in addition to volcanic speleothems.
The extreme beauty and unsurpassed scientific values of these three sites were acknowledged internationally when they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage in June 2007. Jeju Island boasts diverse volcanic landforms and volcanic features in addition to these three sites. The island also boasts outstanding scenery and unique culture and history, making it worth visiting at least once in one's lifetime.

Geology and Evolution of Jeju Island
Jeju Island is a Quaternary shield volcano constructed on the c. 100-m-deep continental shelf off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula in the Yellow Sea (Figs. 1 & 2). The island is composed of basaltic to trachytic lavas and numerous volcanic cones (Fig. 3, Park et al., 1998; Park et al., 2000a; Park et al., 2000b). These volcanic rocks were formerly assumed to have originated from plume-related hotspot magmatism (Lee, 1982; Park, 1994), but recent studies suggest that they more likely resulted from decompression melting of the shallow asthenosphere in response to dramatic changes in regional stress regime during the late Cenozoic (Choi et al., 2005; Choi et al., 2006).
Compilation of the borehole data from more than a thousand groundwater bores (Koh, 1997; Sohn & Park, 2004; Sohn et al., 2008) reveals that the basement of Jeju Island is composed of granite and silicic volcanic rocks of Jurassic to Cretaceous age (Fig. 4). The overlying U Formation is 70 to 250 m thick and composed of well-sorted, quartzose sand and mud (Koh, 1997). This formation is interpreted as continental shelf sediments that accumulated during the Pliocene before the onset of volcanism at Jeju (Sohn & Park, 2004). The U Formation is overlain by about 100 meters of basaltic volcaniclastic and fossiliferous deposits. These deposits are interpreted to be correlative with the Seogwipo Formation, which is exposed only in the south-central part of Jeju Island (Yoon & Chough, 2006). A number of paleontologic, paleomagnetic, stable isotopic, and geochronologic studies (Tamanyu, 1990; Lee et al., 1994; Yi et al., 1998; Li et al., 1999; Kim et al., 2000; Kim & Lee, 2000; Kim et al., 2001; Kang, 2003) reveal that deposition of the formation began at about 1.8 Ma and continued until c. 0.8-0.4 Ma.
Recent research (Sohn et al., 2008) reveals that the Seogwipo Formation in the subsurface consists of numerous superposed phreatomagmatic volcanoes intercalated with marine or nonmarine, volcaniclastic or non-volcaniclastic deposits with intervening erosion surfaces and palaeosol layers (Fig. 4). The widespread and continual hydrovolcanic activity together with volcaniclastic sedimentation, as represented by the Seogwipo Formation, is thus inferred to have persisted for more than a million years (from ca. 1.8 Ma to 0.8~0.4 Ma) under the influence of fluctuating Quaternary sea levels.
Thereafter, the proto-Jeju Island is inferred to have grown up above the fluctuating Quaternary sea levels and lava effusion became dominant, resulting in the plateau- and shield-forming lavas of Jeju Island together with numerous volcanic cones. The K-Ar ages of these lavas range generally between 0.8 and 0.03 Ma (Tamanyu, 1990; Lee et al., 1994), suggesting that the construction of Jeju Island was almost completed just before the Holocene. After the last glacial maximum 18,000 years ago and during the middle Holocene when the coastal regions of Jeju Island became suitable for hydroexplosions, explosive hydrovolcanic eruptions occurred at several places along the present shoreline. These Late Pleistocene to Holocene hydrovolcanic eruptions resulted in several tuff rings and tuff cones with fresh morphology, including the Suwolbong, Songaksan, Ilchulbong, and Udo tuff rings/cones (Sohn & Chough, 1989; Chough & Sohn, 1990; 1992; 1993). There are also historic records of minor eruptions afterwards about one thousand years ago, although it is uncertain where these eruptions occurred.
There are more than 300 volcanic cones in Jeju Island. Most of them are scoria cones except for about a dozen phreatomagmatic volcanoes. The latter can be divided into two groups depending on stratigraphy (Fig. 4): those that underlie the plateau-forming lavas and those that overlie the lavas (Sohn & Park, 2005). The younger ones include Suwolbong, Songaksan, Ilchulbong, and Udo tuff rings/cones. The older ones include the Dangsanbong, Dansan, and Yongmeori tuff ring/cone complexes. The latter protrude through the later plateau-forming lavas mostly in the southwestern part of Jeju Island where the altitude is low and the overlying lavas are relatively thin (50 to 60 m; Koh 1997).

[Fig. 1] Jeju Island is a Quaternary shield volcano constructed on the sea. 100-m-deep continental shelf off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula in the Yellow Sea 

[Fig. 2]

[Fig. 3] Geological Map of Jeju

[Fig. 4] The basement of Jeju Island is composed of granite and silicic volcanic rocks of Jurassic to Cretaceous age 

Inscription Procedure
"Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes" was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO at the 31st World Heritage Convention on June 27, 2007. This is the first World Natural Heritage inscribed in the Republic of Korea. The Republic of Korea and the Jeju Self-Governing Province have tried their best to achieve this inscription since 2001 and it took 6 years to accomplish this mission.
The Republic of Korea and the Jeju Self-Governing Province carried out scientific research for 5 years. After compiling all the necessary information for the nomination, the Republic of Korea and the Jeju Self-Governing Province submitted the proposal to UNESCO in January, 2006 for the inscription of three serial sites, Mt. Hallasan, Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone and Geomunoreum Lava Tube System (Geomunoreum, Bengdwigul Lava Tube, Manjanggul Lava Tube, Gimnyeonggul Lava Tube, Yongcheondonggul Lava Tube and Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tube). The delegate of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is the official organization for evaluation, visited Jeju Island in October, 2006 for an on-site evaluation, and the IUCN strongly suggested the inscription of the Jeju nominated sites.
Twenty one State Parties at the 31st World Heritage Convention, that was held at Christchurch, New Zealand, inscribed the nominated the "Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes" as a World Natural Heritage unanimously.
The inscribed sites cover 18,845 ha, and they include the core and buffer zones of 9,475 ha and 9,370 ha, respectively.
The IUCN noted that volcanic systems are relatively well represented on the World Heritage List and that there is an increasingly limited potential for further inscriptions of volcanic sites on the World Heritage List. The IUCN also recommended that States Parties considering further nominations of volcanic sites should consider the principles suggested in section 5.2 of the IUCN evaluation of Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.
The IUCN adopted the following statement of Outstanding Universal Value.

Map of Jeju Natural s

 

distance between Ieodo and Marado


Ieodo 3 dimentional graphic


Ocean Research Center

Mt. Hallasan

Summary

Site name : Hallasan Natural Reserve

Site area : 164.401㎢ (core zone=90.931㎢, buffer zone=73.474㎢)

Inscription date : 6. 27, 2007

Designated as Natural Monument No. 182 in 1966

Introduction
Mt. Hallasan is the central peak of Jeju Island, a shelfal shield volcano constructed on the continental shelf of the Yellow Sea. Rising 1950 m above sea level, Mt. Hallasan is the highest peak in South Korea and is the symbol of Jeju Island. Mt. Hallasan boasts peculiar volcanic landscape, produced by the crater lake Baeknokdam at the summit, the precipitous rocky cliffs of the Yeongsilgiam, and about forty volcanic cones. Mt. Hallasan was designated as a natural monument and a national park in 1966 and in 1970, respectively. It was also designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2002 and is carefully protected from human activity.

Geological Characteristics
Mt. Hallasan is the central peak of the gently sloping shield volcano of Jeju Island. The mountain is composed of numerous basaltic to trachytic lavas and a variety of volcaniclastic deposits. It has a small (108 m deep and 550 m wide) crater at its center instead of a caldera. It is curious that the mountain doesn't have a caldera in spite of its fairly big size.
Mt. Hallasan is interpreted to have formed since the Middle Pleistocene, after about 780,000 years ago, when the dominantly hydrovolcanic eruption in the early stage of Jeju volcanism was replaced by mainly lava effusion. The volcanic rocks near the Baeknokdam crater at the summit were erupted only a few thousand to tens of thousand years ago, suggesting that the eruptive activity of Mt. Hallasan continued until prehistoric time. Because of its young age, the summit area of Mt. Hallasan preserves fresh volcanic landforms and rock formations.
The summit of Mt. Hallasan provides different scenery when viewed from different directions because the summit area was made from two different lavas that have contrastingly different properties. That is, the western half of that area was made from highly viscous trachyte lava, forming a dome-like topography, whereas the eastern half was made from highly fluid trachybasalt lava, resulting in a gently sloping topography. The southern part of the summit is bounded by a precipitous rock cliff because of the collapse of the trachytic lava dome. In contrast to the summit area, unaffected by significant weathering or erosion, the flanks of Mt. Hallasan were carved into several deep valleys and gorges. The topographic features formed by the erosion and collapse of the volcano are especially well developed in the Yeongsilgiam.

Landscape
Midway up the southwestern side of Mt. Hallasan is a magnificent display of a cluster of steep trachyte edifices. It was named Yeongsil (sil meaning temple) owing to its resemblance to Yeongsan (Yeong Mountain), where Sakyamuni Buddha is said to have preached. The cluster of rocky cliffs is especially prominent given their mutually contrastive surroundings. Jutted against a trachyte structure called the Mireukjonburam (Stone Sculpture of Buddha), on its left is the trachyte Byeongpungbawi (Folding Screen Rocks) that present large columnar joints. To its right hovers the black trachytic basalt feature called the Obaeknahansang (The Five-Hundred Disciples of Buddha). At the top of Mt. Hallasan is the crater lake called Baeknokdam, where the Sinseon (Taoist hermits with supernatural powers) are said to have waded in the waters riding on 'Baeknok' (white deer). Many believe this represents the very essence of the beauty that is the Hallasan Natural Reserve. The grace of the Reserve is reinforced by the diverse alpine flora, the large area of Korean fir dwarf forest, as well as the distinct vertical distribution of flora along the slopes of Mt. Hallasan. As a result, each of the four distinct seasons creates its own array of shapes and colors to add to the mystique and grandeur of the Hallasan Natural Reserve.

Natural Ecosystem
Mt. Hallasan Natural Reserve not only has a magnificent landscape but also is covered with diverse plant communities of deciduous hardwood forests, coniferous forests of Korean fir, and shrub communities of alpine and arctic plants. Mt. Hallasan shows clear vegetation distribution along altitudinal gradient. From the top of Mt. Hallasan to the Hallasan National Park boundary at about 600 m to 1,000 m in elevation, the vegetation changes from subalpine evergreen coniferous forest to warm temperate deciduous hardwood forest. The evergreen forest of Abies koreana, a Korean endemic fir species is distributed on flat areas or slopes between 1,400 m and 1,950 m on Mt. Hallasan, and this forest corresponds with the northern part of the cool-temperate forest of the Korean Peninsula. Jeju Island has 59 taxa of plant species endemic to Jeju, but most of them are alpine or arctic plants occurring near the summit of Mt. Hallasan above 1,700 m above sea level. These arctic or alpine species at the higher elevations of Mt. Hallasan migrated from north during the Quaternary Period when Jeju Island was connected to the mainland Korea, and moved upward on Mt. Hallasan as the climate became warmer during the Holocene Epoch. The fauna of Jeju Island show that continental, Japanese, and southern characteristics coexist in a single place. Among the 1601 species of insects of Jeju, 24 are endemic to Jeju and 204 are arctic species.
The animals of vertebrates inhabiting the Mt. Hallasan Natural Reserve include roe deer and 21 other species of mammals, 328 species of birds, 8 species of amphibians, and 9 species of reptiles. The mammals including roe deers in Jeju Island, of which four are endemic to Jeju (Jeju weasel, Jeju salamander, and Jeju striped field mouse). As with the flora, most animal species endemic to Jeju inhabit the higher elevational areas of Mt. Hallasan.

Geomunoreum Lava Tube System

Summary
The Geomunoreum Lava Tube System is located between Seonheul-ri, Jocheon-eup and Weoljeong-ri, Gujwa-eup. Jeju City, Jeju Self-Governing Province. This system refers to a series of lava tube caves formed in the large amounts of basaltic lava spewed out by the live Geomunoreum volcano, the summit of which has an elevation of 456 m. The lava from the Geomunoreum volcano flowed down the slope of Mt. Hallasan in a north-northeast direction down to the coastline for about 13㎞. This system is estimated to have been formed between about 100 and 300 thousand years ago.
So far, the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System includes the Seonheul Vertical Cave, Bengdwigul Lava Tube, Bukoreumdonggul Lava Tube, Daerimdonggul Lava Tube, Mangjanggul Lava Tube, Gimnyeonggul Lava Tube, Yongcheondonggul Lava Tube, and Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tube towards the sea. However more caves are expected to be discovered in the future. Among the above, the Bengdwigul Lava Tube, Mangjanggul Lava Tube, Gimnyeonggul Lava Tube, Yongcheondonggul Lava Tube and Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tube are designated as national monuments.
The perfect preservation of the internal morphological features, despite their old age of formation, and the outstanding beauty associated with numerous beautiful carbonate speleothems enabled "Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes" to be inscribed as a World Natural Heritage.
Since the first research article on Geomunoreum Lava Tube System was published in the Journal of the Geological Society of Korea in 2005, this system was officially known to scientific communities in Korea.

Jeju Volcanoes, Caves Registered as World Natural Heritage


Volcanoes and lava tubes on Jeju Island were registered as World Natural Heritage, today Wednesday.

It is the first time for a South Korean natural heritage to be put on the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided to register Jeju volcanic island and lava tubes at the 31st session held in Christchurch, New Zealand, accepting the recommendation from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).




The registered nature heritage consists of three main sites - Mt. Halla, Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff ring, and Geomunoreum lava tube system. The sites cover areas of 188.4 square kilometers, 10.1 percent of Jeju Island's total size.

Jeju Island is a gently sloping shield volcano and the 1,950-meter high peak in the center is Mt. Halla, Natural Monument No. 182.

  


Seongsan Ilchulbong, or Sunrise Peak, is an archetypal tuff cone formed about 100,000 years ago. It is a scenic point with a bowl-like crater and cliffs, especially spectacular at sunrise.

  


The lava tube system includes Geomun Oreum, a parasitic cone about 20 kilometers northeast of Mt. Halla, and five lava tubes that were formed by lava from the oreum _ Manjangul, Gimnyeonggul, Yongcheondonggul, Dangcheomuldonggul and Bengdwigul.

  


The inside of Yongcheondonggul, or Yongcheon Cave, on Jeju. Microtopographic features are preserved in the 2,470-meter-long lava tube.

  


The nation applied for the registration in January last year, and a team of IUCN members conducted an inspection last October.

``Jeju's natural beauty has been internationally certified. The registration has enhanced Jeju's pure image together with UNESCO's earlier designation of the island as biosphere reserve,'' said an official from the Jeju World Natural Heritage Promotion Committee.

``The registration will improve worldwide recognition on Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and bring many tourists to the island,'' he said.

The official cited Ha Long Bay as an example: the annual number of visitors to the Vietnamese scenic attraction was 236,000 in 1996 when it was registered as World Natural Heritage, but increased by 6.4-fold to 1.5 million in 2005.

Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone

Introduction
Seongsan Ilchulbong, also called ‘Sunrise Peak’, is an archetypal tuff cone formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions upon a shallow seabed about 5 thousand years ago. The 182 m-high tuff cone, dominating the eastern seaboard of Jeju Island like a gigantic ancient castle, not only preserves its bowl-like crater but also provides excellent sea-cliff exposures of diverse internal structures. These features have great geologic values in that they provide a basis for interpreting eruptive and depositional processes of hydromagmatic volcanoes worldwide in addition to the past volcanic activity of the tuff cone.

Geological Characteristics
The Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone is a small volcano formed by Surtseyan-type hydrovolcanic activity upon a shallow seabed about 5 thousand years ago when the sea level was identical to that of the present (Sohn & Chough, 1992; Sohn et al., 2002). Volcanic cones or "oreums" (Jeju dialect for volcanic cones) in Jeju Island are mostly scoria cones formed by Hawaiian or Strombolian eruptions. They are composed of dark-colored and vesicular volcanic rock fragments, called scoria ("Song-i" in Jeju dialect). On the other hand, Seongsan Ilchulbong and several other oreums in Jeju Island are hydromagmatic volcanoes that were formed by explosive interaction of hot ascending magma and seawater or ground water (Sohn, 1996). Hydromagmatic volcanoes are classified into tuff rings and tuff cones based on crater size, height, and the slope angle (Wohletz & Sheridan, 1983; Vespermann & Schmincke, 2000). Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone has the typical morphology of a tuff cone with a height of 182 m, crater diameter of about 600 m, and dip of strata up to 45 degrees. The crater floor is 90 m above sea level.
Abundant water could permeate into the volcanic vent of the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone during its eruption (Sohn, 1996). The erupted volcanic materials were therefore very wet and sticky, resulting in numerous depositional features that are indicative of the wet eruptive condition of the tuff cone (Sohn & Chough, 1992). The wet hydrovolcanic activity continued until the end of the eruption. The tuff cone could therefore have a bowl-like crater unfilled by scoria and lavas.
The Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone is surrounded by precipitous cliffs except for the northwestern flank because of erosion by marine waves. The tuff cone therefore provides superb geological cross-sections of the volcano from the intracrater deposits to the marginal strata. Diverse geological structures exposed on the sea cliffs have great geological importance because they provide a basis for interpreting eruptive and depositional processes of hydromagmatic volcanoes worldwide in addition to the past volcanic activity of the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone.
There are numerous hydromagmatic volcanoes in the world similar to the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone. However, it is probably the only example of a hydromagmatic volcano that has the typical morphology of a tuff cone and shows diverse internal structures along the sea cliff exposures. Because of the scientific values in addition to outstanding beauty, the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone could be inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site and is worth preserving permanently as a natural heritage of humankind.

Landscape
On the Jeju Island coastline, the eastern tip is suddenly met by a steep, colossal, cliffed elevation like a castle that surrounds a crater. This is the spectacular Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone. It is a magnificent sight, whether viewed from the sea, land or from above. On the slopes of the cliff, the stratifications in the tuff preserve both the birth and history of the volcano; they present nature's unsurpassed beauty.
At daybreak, in particular, as the sun rises above the horizon, a curiously solemn mystique surrounds the tuff cone. On the southeastern tip of the crater, a wall has collapsed; erosion has caused the height of the wall to swoop down to an elevation similar to that of the crater basin. However, it is through this opening that one can indulge in the fantasia created by the scenery below; the sea cliff, the wide open sea and the sapphire blue waves that break up into a frothing mist.

Natural Ecosystem
 The Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone can be divided into four areas: inside of the crater, north-west facing slope outside of the crater, rock cliffs of the outer crater wall, and sand dunes at the coast. Each area is covered with different vegetation. A grassland of Miscanthus sinensis-Artemisia princeps community and the arrow bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica) community cover the inner part of the crater. North-west facing slope outside of the crater is covered with the black pine (Pinus thunbergii) community, an evergreen shrub community composed of Orixa japonica and Hedera rhombea, and Zoysia japonica grassland community. Rock cliffs of the outer crater wall is covered with a evergreen vine community composed of Hedera rhombea and Trachelospermum asiaticum. Sand dunes at the seashore are covered with Vitex rotundifolia-Calystegia soldanella community and Peucedanum japonucum-Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii community.
  The terrestrial vascular plant flora is composed of 222 taxa (190 species, 29 varieties, and 3 forms belonging to 186 genera and 77 families). Among them, 18 taxa are ferns, 3 taxa are gymnosperms, and the rest 201 taxa are angiosperms.
  There are 6 rare plant species: a fern Crypsinus hastatus, an orchid Neofinetia falcata, two parasitic plants of Aeginetia indica and Orobanche coerulescens, and two other herbaceous plants of Arisaema heterophyllum and Glehnia littoralis.  Among them, Aeginetia indica is an important plant in terms of plant distribution. This species, which belongs to the family Orobanchaceae and is parasitic to the roots of a grass Miscanthus sinensis, occurs in Japan, Taiwan and other southeast Asian countries, but in Korea it can be found only in Jeju Island and is growing in the crater of Seongsan Ilchulbong. Another parasitic plant, Orobanche coerulescens within the family Orobanchaceae, occurs rarely on the sand dunes of the coast of the Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone.
  In addition, about 300 species of marine algae are growing in the shallow waters off the coast. Many new species were found in this area, among which a red alga Dasysiphonia chejuensis is the type specimen of the new genus Dasysiphonia.

There are three big categories in the UNESCO heritage listing -- World Heritage (Natural, Cultural, and Mixed), Biosphere Reserves, and World Geopark. Prior to being named as UNESCO World Natural Heritage, Jeju had Mt. Hallasan and the Seogwipo coastal area designated as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Dec. 2002. Now, it is aiming to win all three honors by becoming a World Geopark too. Being included in the global network of geoparks will put the island to be on par with the world's most famous destinations. The Jeju provincial government already formed a taskforce team last year involving experts from various fields and is currently selecting candidate areas for the geopark. To be a UNESCO World Geopark, the region must not only be beautiful but also have high geological, biological, archeological, historical, and cultural values. There are currently over 50 geoparks around the world, including the Petrified Forest in Yunnan Province, China.