Specified islands
Overview
- Specified islands: Any island designated and publicly notified by the Minister of Environment as uninhabited or with human habitation limited to an extremely small area, possessing outstanding natural ecosystems, geographical or geological features, or natural environments (hereinafter referred to as 'natural ecosystems, etc.'), such as Dokdo Island.
- An island with outstanding natural landscapes, such as volcanoes, parasitic cones, valleys, streams, lakes and marshes, waterfalls, seashores, coastlines, and lava caves
- An island that requires designation for the conservation of water resources, fossils, rare flora and fauna, endangered species, and other endemic species
- A habitat or stopover site for wildlife that has conservation value
- A primary forest of ecological significance
- An island that requires academic research or conservation for its unique topographical or geological features
- Other islands that are recommended by a metropolitan city mayor, a provincial governor or a special self-governing provincial governor to be designated, or that the Minister of Environment deems necessary to designate, for the conservation of their natural ecosystems and other features.
Criteria for Designation of Specified Islands (As of December 2024)
- Legal basis : Article 4 of the Special Act on the Conservation of the Ecosystems in Island Areas Including Dokdo
- Designated areas : 260 sites covering a total of 13.84㎢ (262 designations have been made, but 2 of them were withdrawn)
Designation process
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Nationwide environmental assessment of uninhabited islands
-
Designation planning
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Collection of feedback from city mayors/provincial governors and local residents
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Consultation with relevant ministries
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Designation and notification
Designations by region
| Classification | Total | Gyeonggi | Gyeongnam | Gyeongbuk | Busan | Incheon | Jeonnam | Jeonbuk | Jeju | Chungnam |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 260 | 2 | 62 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 108 | 16 | 6 | 31 |
| Area(㎢) | 13.84 | 0.03 | 1.76 | 0.19 | 0.03 | 1.67 | 5.80 | 1.64 | 0.47 | 2.25 |
Status of the Designation Phase for Specified Islands
| Classification | Number | Area(㎢) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 260 1) | 13.38 2) | |
| 1st group | ’00.9 | 47 | 3.41 |
| 2nd group | ’02.5 | 38 | 2.60 |
| 3rd group | ’02.8 | 41 | 2.99 |
| 4th group | ’03.7 | 9 | 0.48 |
| 5th group | ’04.1 | 18 | 0.59 |
| 6th group | ’07.11 | 5 | 0.14 |
| 7th group | ’08.10 | 4 | 0.30 |
| 8th group | ’09.6 | 5 | 0.08 |
| 9th group | ’10.3 | 3 | 0.02 |
| 10th group | ’11.7 | 7 | 0.14 |
| 11th group | ’12.10 | 6 | 0.09 |
| 12th group | ’13.12 | 23 | 0.94 |
| 13th group | ’14.12 | 13 | 0.08 |
| 14th group | ’15.12 | 11 | 0.38 |
| 15th group | ’16.12 | 15 | 0.89 |
| 16th group | ’17.12 | 4 | 0.14 |
| 17th group | ’18.12 | 6 | 0.27 |
| 18th group | ’19.12 | 2 | 0.26 |
| 19th group | ’24.05 | 3 | 0.05 |
- 1) Percentage by number: 8.9% of total uninhabited islands (2,876 sites)
- 2) Percentage by area: 18.1% of total uninhabited islands (76.47㎢)