The Korean government’s effort to list various areas such as Cheju Island as UNESCO World Heritage areas is something I strongly support because it gives the government strong motivation to preserve these fantastic geographic and cultural areas of the country that might not otherwise be preserved if it wasn’t listed.

The fact that the government is trying to list Cheju Island as a UNESCO World Geopark will only increase the amount of land protected by the government for future generations to enjoy:

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. [Chosun Ilbo]

If you live in Korea and haven’t been to Cheju Island, it is definitely worth checking out because it is an awesome place. I still wish though that the government would do more to get Soraksan Mountain listed as a World Heritage Area as well because it is Korea’s most scenic mountain park, but for whatever reason the park has remained on UNESCO’s tentative list since 1994.