TRIP REPORT: by Shin Wang, Vice Chair IUCN/WCPA East Asia Region Transforming Korea s DMZ, a World Heritage, into a Peace and Nature Sanctuary AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF KOREA S DEMILITARIZED ZONE (DMZ), MILLENNIUM HILTON HOTEL, SEOUL, KOREA JULY 15-16, 2004 Conference Theme: Designation of Korea s DMZ as a World Heritage Site for Nature Conservation and Peace Conference Host: The DMZ Forum, New York Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, Republic of Korea Convener: The DMZ Forum Sponsor: Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Republic of Korea Co-sponsor: Nong-Hyup (Korea.s agricultural industry association) The Context This is a report on the DMZ Forum conference, which was held from the 15 th to the 16 th of July, 2004 at Seoul, Korea. The Forum was hosted by the DMZ Forum, Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, Republic of Korea. Totally twelve invited speakers participated this forum, in addition to the local NGO and other participants. The program of this forum is as follows: Invited speakers are: Ms. Kathleen Tordini, Representative, Hague Appeal for Peace, USA Professor Willem van Riet, Executive Director and Executive Vice Chairman, Peace Parks Foundation, South Africa Dr. Alessandro Balsamo, World Heritage Center, UNESCO, Paris, France Dr. W.M. Boerner, Professor and Director, UIC -ECE Laboratory, University of Illinois, Chicago Dr. Suk[kyung Shim, Programme Specialist, Korean National Commission UNESCO, Seoul, Korea Dr. George Archibald, Co-founder, Chairman, International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA
Dr. II-Chung Kim and Dr. Young-Sook Eom, Professor, Korea Dr. Shin Wang, Vice Chair of the East Asia Region, IUCN-WCPA Dr. Vladimir Karakin, World Wildlife-Far Eastern Russia, Tumen River Project, Russia Dr. Frans Stroebel, Assistant to Founder and Chairman, Peace Park Foundation, South Africa Ms. Kosima Weber Liu, Associate Director, Environmental Education Media Project, Piintee Environmental Library, Pyongyang, North Korea Mr. Sun-Nam Lim, Director, Korea Tiger/Leopard Conservati9on Institute Observation: I like to start my report from the following message revealed by UNESCO World Heritage Center, which is obviously a very encouraging sign for involving North Korea in the future promotion of DMZ as either a World heritage site, a biosphere reserve or any kind of trans-boundary protected area. It also helps WCPA to justify the proposal to include DMZ promotion as a part of our 2004-2008 Work Programme on Trans-boundary Protected Area Theme. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea had its first site - complex of Koguryo tombs- inscribed on UNESCO s World Heritage List. This new site was inscribed on July 1, 2004 at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Suzhou, China. The property includes several groups and individual tombs - totalling about 30 individual tombs - from the later period of the Koguryo Kingdom. The tombs, many with beautiful wall paintings, are almost the only remains of this culture. Only about 90 out of more than 10,000 Koguryo tombs discovered in China and Korea so far, have wall paintings. Almost half of these tombs are located on this site and they are thought to have been made for the burial of kings, members of the royal family and the aristocracy. These paintings offer a unique testimony to daily life of this period. The DMZ Forum was divided to three parts. The first day is mainly presentation by the invited speakers. Issues discussed include world heritage site, biosphere reserves, trans-boundary protected areas, peace parks, nature conservation, bird sanctuaries, national trails, tiger conservation and remote sensing technology in environmental surveillance. Cases from South Africa, Germany and Korea etc. are discussed. Nature conservation investigations, ecological and economic evaluation of the DMZ were reported by the Korean participants. During the presentations, the process of nomination a world heritage site was carefully introduced by the WHC representative. He reminded the participants that a member country of the World Heritage Convention had to submit a nomination.
And, most probably, the two Koreans had to reach certain kind of agreement before such a nomination became true. Once such an issue was spoken out, it is often followed by silence. It is obvious, that he major handicap for a DMZ protected area is common agreement of the two Korean governments. North Korea may not interest in such a proposal at this stage. But, once he realized the benefits which come along with the inscription of a world heritage site, he may want to think about it and come to the negotiation table. Actually, the DMZ is already a popular tourist spot from the south. Man and Biosphere Program representative from the UNESCO office in Korea also introduced the Biosphere Reserve concept, and explained that the DMZ can also become a biosphere reserve. Shin Wang, represent IUCN, introduced IUCN, WCPA and the Trans-boundary Protected Area Task Force, and our previous achievements. A power point presentation include materials from IUCN, WCPA web site were given, with particular emphasize on the guidelines proposed by the WCPA Trans-boundary Protected Area Task Force. He also reminded the participants to visit the web sites of IUCN, WCPA, and the trans -boundary protected area task force. Particularly, to read the best practice protected area guideline book on trans-boundary protected areas and peace parks. They will be able to save a lot of effort to promote a DMZ trans -boundary protected area if they follow the guideline recommended in the best practice guideline book. At the end of the day, Dr. Seung-ho Lee, President of the DMZ Forum, read the D eclaration for the World Heritage Site D esignation of Korea s DMZ. The second day, in the morning, is a special session on International and Korean NGO Coalition for Transforming the DMZ into a Peace and Nature Sanctuary. It is presentations of the NGO of Korea and a discussion of common interest by the NGO and the invited speakers. At the beginning, the Korean NGOs were patient. But when it is approaching the final recommendation for future actions, the atmosphere get hot. Some of the NGOs became excited and ask for a united action in the future. They suggested many actions to be considered in the final proposal and they requested that the interested participants should meet next Monday morning to review the final recommendations and make further proposals. Obviously, they want to give more positive recommendations to the DMZ Forum and the government, and hope that by working together, this Forum can achieve some positive progress concerning the DMZ trans -boundary protected area and peace park, hopefully, to make it a world heritage site, They do hope this will lead to eternal peace of the DMZ in the future. In the afternoon of the second day, a field trip to the DMZ took the speakers to the site tp see the area they discussed in the forum. The third and the forth day, is trip to the north Korean side of the DMZ- Mt. Kumgang. The speakers experience the DMZ in person. Morning in the next Monday, they came back to Seoul to continue the discussion of future actions, which the NGOs and the DMZ Forum may work together to promote peace and a world heritage site for the DMZ.
Generally speaking, this is a successful conference. But, without a direct dialogue between the two Koreans, a world heritage site is only a vision for the future. If DMZ can be successfully nominated as a world heritage site, it will serve as a catalyst to promote peace of the DMZ. Shin Wang, Vice Chair East Asia Region, IUCN -WCPA July 24, 2004 Appendix 1 PRESENTATION TO CONFERENCE ON TRANSFORMING KOREA S DMZ, A WORLD HERITAGE, INTO A PEACE AND NATURE SANCTUARY Hilton Hotel, Seoul, Korea July15 to 16, 2004 ENLIGHTENING DMZ PROTECTED AREA- IUCN/WCPA EXPERIENCE ON TRANS-BOUNDARY PROTECTED AREAS Shin Wang, Vice Chair IUCN-WCPA East Asia Region Last month, at the annual steering committee meeting of IUCN/WCPA, the Trans-boundary Protected Area Task Force was established. The Task Force had its origin in IUCN/W CPA/CEL (CEL: Commission on Environmental Law) Parks for Peace Initiative, which examined the global experience of trans -boundary protected areas that foster peace and cooperation. It built on the work done within trans-boundary protected areas complexes of which there are at least 169 in 113 countries and involving 666 protected areas. In particular, it considered the lessons emanating from workshops and initiatives focusing on trans-boundary situations in Australia, Central Europe, Eastern and Southern Africa and Meso-America. The Parks for Peace program developed some definitions for trans -boundary protected areas and Parks for Peace, guidelines for protected area managers, a draft Code for TBPAs in
times of peace and armed conflict, and a project proposal for exploring and supporting further work. The guidance referred to above has been published as the 7th in the IUCN/Cardiff University Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series (Sandwith, 2004). In parallel, there has been a growing interest in trans-boundary conservation programs, encompassing such diverse goals as more effective eco-regional biodiversity conservation, regional integration and cooperation and economic development. Many multi-lateral donors have project portfolios involving trans-boundary conservation. International conservation organizations have been exploring their efficacy in achieving better landscape level conservation and there is high-level support from many governments and regional organizations promoting coordinated regional economic development. In many parts of the world, trans-boundary conservation programs are being regarded as a new opportunity to establish, expand and improve the sustainability of protected areas (Sandwith, 2004). The establishment of the De-militarized Zone and the Civilian Control Zone following the Korean War marked a great tragedy for the Korean people, but at the same time, prevent the development in the area, creating a sanctuary for wild plants and animals. The DMZ and CCZ areas are now cited as a precious area where rare flora and fauna are kept intact. The DMZ is a 4 km-wide and 250km-long strip, covering 907.3 square kilometers from coast to coast. In the far northern areas of eastern Gangwon Province, mountain ecosystems are as well preserved as those in the DMZ. Given the fact that DMZ and CCZ are result of the division of the Korean Peninsula, there will certainly be a bumpy road ahead before the two Koreas jointly designate their border as a TBPA. Recognizing that the DMZ is not exclusively property of one side and that it is an eternal asset, which should be passed down to the coming generations, both South and North Korean government, international organizations, and civic groups need to jointly establish proper measures to preserve the area and put policies into practice (Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, 2001). In 2001, IUCN-The World Conservation Union published a best-practice protected area guideline on Trans-boundary Protected Areas for Peace and Cooperation. In which, says there are currently 169 complexes of internationally adjoining protected areas containing 666 individual protected areas in 113 countries. These listed sites had to adjoin across one or more international boundaries; and these sites had to qualify as protected areas, based on the IUCN Definition and be assigned an IUCN management
category (1-1V). The latter criterion meant that sites had to be both legally recognized by government and maintained within the UNEP-WCMC database. A second list of pote ntial TBPA complexes was created, which include 69 sites with an established protected area on one side of an international boundary and a proposed protected area on one without an IUCN category, on the other side. IUCN best practice guideline also listed, on the Appendix 4, the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program s Seville +5 Recommendations for the establishment of Trans-boundary Biosphere Reserves (UNESCO, 2000). In which, includes a Procedure for the establishment of a TBR (Sandwith, Shine, Hamilton and Sheppard, 2001). Several other important literatures need to be examined, including the following: 1. The Vth World Park Congress 2003 outcomes: including the Durban Accord, the Action Plan and the Message to the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) 2. The COP 7 program of Work on Protected Areas of the CBD 3. La Maddalena workshop 16-21 May 2005 It is only a month ago, in the 2004 IUCN-WCPA Steering Committee Meeting held at Savonlinna, Finland during the period of 16 th and 19 th of July, a Trans-boundary Conservation Theme Program in the 2005-2009 WCPA/PPA Quadrennial Work Program was established. All the previous mentioned efforts indicates that IUCN-WCPA will invest more manpower and other resources in the promotion of trans -boundary protected areas. DMZ is not on the list of proposed TBPAs, and DMZ has not been designated by Korean government as a protected area, which is parallel to an IUCN management category. It is obvious that the next step for our common interest is to work with Korea governments to take actions to designate this outstanding area as a national protected area. References: 1. Letter from DMZ Forum to Jeffrey McNeely 2. WCPA web site: WCPA Task Force on TBPAs (www.iucn.org) 3. World Bank, 2000. Trans -boundary Reserves: World Bank Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach. 4. Sandwith, T, C. Shine, L. Hamilton and D. Sheppard, 2001. Trans -boundary Protected Areas for Peace and Cooperation. Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series No. 7. 5. Sandwith, T. 2004. WCPA Steering Committee Meeting, 2004. Agenda and
Background Document, pp. 122-133. Proposal to establish a trans-boundary conservation theme program in the 2005-2009 WCPA/PPA Quadrennial Work Program 6. Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, 2001. Green Korea. Ecosystem Preservation near the DMZ. pp.16-19. 7. Hong, Dong-Gon, 2002. Protected Area Conservation Policies of the Republic of Korea. IUCN-WCPA -EA Conference at Taipei, Taiwan. Appendix 2: DRAFT (6/24/04) AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONSERVATION OF KOREA S DEMILITARIZED ZONE (DMZ), HILTON HOTEL, SEOUL, KOREA, JULY 14-19, 2004 Title: Transforming Korea s DMZ, A World Heritage, into a Peace and Nature Sanctuary Conference Theme: Designation of Korea s DMZ as a World Heritage Site for nature conservation and peace Conference Site: Millennium Hilton Hotel, Seoul, Korea Conference Host: Gyeonggi Province (Governor Hak-Kyu Sohn; Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation), Republic of Korea Convener: The DMZ Forum Organizing Committee: The DMZ Forum, NY; Gyeonggi Province (Offic e of the Governor) Sponsor: The ROK Gyeonggi Province (Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation) Background: The future of sustainable Korea depends on clean environment and ecologically sustainable use of the land which provides environmental security and sustainable development for over one hundred million Koreans. The demilitarized
zone (DMZ) is the linchpin of pan-korean nature conservation. The DMZ, a 4- km wide strip of beautiful land running 250 km across the entire Korean peninsula, has separated the two Koreas and controlled military hostilities between them since 1953. The DMZ became a unique natural sanctuary for biodiversity and wildlife and a showcase of natural heritage, and is an important resource for Korea s nature conservation. This land must be preserved for the future generations of Korea, which will provide the foundation for sustainable development, cultural and spiritual advancement, and for environmental security. After the formal ceasefire with the armistice of Korean War, the DMZ corridor was naturally revived from the devastation, its forests recovered and wild habitats rebuilt, with the renewal of life without human interference. Fallow land has returned to thick prairie and shrubby land in the western section. Rich green forests adorn the magnificent landscape of the eastern mountain ranges. With them, endangered and rare plants and animal species, including Asiatic black bear, leopard, Eurasian lynx, Goral sheep, and perhaps Amur tiger, have rebuilt their populations. A great number of species of migratory birds, including endangered species such as the White-naped and Red-crowned cranes and the Black-faced spoonbill have made their home in these habitats. The land devastated by war has become a rare sanctuary for endangered native species and transformed into the most important in-situ reserve for Korea s natural heritage, biodiversity and landscapes, including many species that no longer exist in anywhere else on the Korean peninsula. Symbolizing the tragedy of War, Korea s DMZ is a sacred resting place for millions of innocent compatriots, foreign friends, and soldiers of both sides who died for freedom and peace. Having two opposite socio-economic systems for the last half of the 20 th Century, the two independent Koreas, the Democratic People s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), have created two different people with opposing ideologies and cultures. They now have different perspectives on life in the rapidly changing world and yet desire to be united and mutually benefited to build a prosperous and peaceful future of Korea. Korean people in the south have worked hard for the last forty years and now enjoy a democratic society with a free consumer economy, attaining a position as the 12 th economic power in the world. South Korea has already embarked on helping improve the lives of their northern compatriots. The DMZ has transformed into the place of juxtaposition for people of the two Koreas for reconciliation and concordance and a gateway to unification and peace. The DMZ corridor with rich biodiversity and landscapes opens a unique opportunity to recreate Keum-Su-Gang-San, meaning
land of embroidered mountains and river, for Korea s sustainable development and peace. The DMZ that contains a complete array of native biodiversity on the peninsula has already become a unique nature reserve on the Korean peninsula. This historic estate must remain a landmark nature reserve in perpetuity, as it is an important national heritage site for Koreans everywhere. The DMZ is the centre of what can become a pan-korean nature conservation and a tribute to the Korean s patriotic pride, the Keum -Su-Gang-San. The DMZ can also serve as an ecological laboratory to study nature s resilience and revival, human ecology a nd ecosystem sustainability. Simply put, there is no comparable place like the DMZ in the Korean peninsula and the world this land must remain intact and protected for the future of Korea. There is a call from around the world for the designation of Korea s DMZ corridor as a World Heritage Site. Korea s DMZ is not only a national heritage site for biodiversity and culture but also a world heritage site for humanity as well. It is an opportunity for the two Koreas, the DPRK and ROK, to join the globa l conservation movement by creating a unique World Heritage Site on the peninsula. This conference provides a platform for embarking on this movement and charts the strategies for the designation of Korea s DMZ as a World Heritage. Objectives The obje ctives of this conference are: 1) To discuss the needs for preserving the DMZ for conservation and peace; 2) to assess the feasibility and value of Korea s DMZ conservation; 3) to define and promote a global calling for the designation of Korea s DMZ as a UNESCO s World Heritage site; 4) to formulate strategies for a joint declaration by DPRK and ROK for the UNESCO designation of Korea s DMZ as a World Heritage Site; 5) to organize a global network of people, organizations and international agencies to support and campaign for the movement to protect and preserve Korea s DMZ corridor as a World Heritage Site for conservation and peace. Gyeonggi Province: Sponsor of the Conference The Gyeonggi Province is one of the two central provinces the DMZ corridor cut through in the western part of the Korean peninsula, and directly involves
with matters related to the DMZ. Gyeonggi Province is a showcase of dynamic economic development in South Korea with a diversity of beautiful natural and cultural landscapes, symbolizing the land of Keum-Su-Gang-San, which invites the world to visit. This conference is the first international conference on nature conservation of the DMZ for peaceful purposes sponsored by the Gyeonggi Province, providing an opportunity for outreach and exposure of the Gyeonggi Province, as it is an international conference with speakers and participants from all over the world. Dedicated to enhancing awareness and knowledge of the DMZ as a vital resource for water, biological diversity, and beauty of landscapes, sustainable eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture and ecologically -based economic activity for a local, national and international audience. Important Criteria of Korea s DMZ for a World Heritage Site Korea s Demilitarized Zone is a National Monument of People, Culture, Nature, and History of the 20 th Century on the Korean Peninsula. Korea s DMZ offers a World Heritage for the Peace-loving People of All Korea and the World. The DMZ Corridor Commemorates the Tragic Loss of lives of all those Korean and Other People from around the World Sacrificed for Peace and Security during the Korean War. The DMZ Corridor has become a Symbol of War and Peace, Death and Life, and Past and Future. The DMZ Corridor contains an Outstanding Example of Traditional Human Settlement and Land-use representing Korean Culture and Green Open Space which is easily Vulnerable to the Impact of Development. The DMZ Corridor represents A Horizontal Cross-section of Korea s Geologic Patterns and Ecological and Biological Processes in the Evolution and Development of Biodiversity in Biological Communities and Ecosystems. The DMZ Ecosystems contain Landscapes of Exceptional Natural Beauty and Aesthetic Importance and the Most Important and Significant Natural Habitats for In-situ Conservation of Biodiversity, Including Those Containing Threatened Species of Outstanding Universal Value from the Point View of Science and Conservation. Therefore, the Korea s DMZ must be Protected and Sustainably Managed so that the Environmental Integrity of the Entire Corridor could be Sustained for
the Future of Korea and People of the World. About the Conference Agenda: Review of ecosystems and biodiversity in the DMZ; Analysis of concepts for preserving the DMZ for Korea s nature conservation; Initiation of projects for DMZ conservation: o Assessment and evaluation of land and habitat classification; o Assessment of critical habitats in the DMZ and adjacent areas; o Assessment and inventory of biodiversity in the DMZ; o Conservation of extirpated, endangered, and threatened species; Ecological economic analysis of the DMZ conservation; Assessment of sustainability for eco-tourism in the DMZ; Sustainability of ecologically-based agriculture and ecosystem management in the DMZ and the adjacent areas; Discussion and delineation of the issues pertaining to the development of a formal proposal for the UNESCO s World Heritage Site designation; Organization of the partners and networking for Korea s World Heritage project; Development of post-conference strategy and specific action steps for Korea s World Heritage project. Participants: Approximately 200 participants, from various educational, civic and conservation organizations and governmental agencies at local, provincial and national levels in South Korea and representatives from North Korea, as well as international organizations and United Nation agencies from around the world; Approximately 50 participants including members of the Organizers and invited speakers from within Korea and around the world. Media Coverage: There will be an extensive media campaign of the event. The media campaign will include local, national and international activities. The media coverage will include radio and television interviews of speakers and participants at the eve nt. A pre-conference news conference with national and international guests will
be held on July 14 in Seoul. Communication and Translation Services: Simultaneous Korean-English and English-Korean translation services will be available for the conference speakers and participants. Speakers may speak either in Korean or English. No other language translation services will be available. The web conference facilities will undergo a practice session prior to actual use. Conference Tours: Two tours are planned as part of the conference: On Friday, July 16, a one -half day tour the area south of the DMZ in Gyeonggi Province; On Saturday through Sunday, July 17-18: a bus tour to Keumgang Mountain in DPRK. Conference Budget: Sponsor: Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation (Gyeonggi Province). Budgetary Management: The DMZ Forum, New York. International speakers: Air travel, lodging, food, local transportation. In-Country speakers: Transportation, lodging, food. Organizing Committee: DMZ Forum, Gyeonggi Provincial Government. Tours to the DMZ and Keumgang Mountain for international speakers; no honoraria. All other participants will pay for their own expenses. All conference participants will arrange and pay for their own visas to the ROK and DPRK, unless Gyeonggi Provincial Government assist s in obtaining visas for DPRK and international invitees.
Conference Program and Schedule: July 13, Tuesday Arrivals All day Arrival of international participants (Inchon International Airport) Arrive Seoul (1 hour from Inchon) July 14, Wednesday Arrivals/News Conference (2:00pm) All day Arrival of international participants (Inchon International Airport) Arrive Seoul (Individual lodging Cho and Comm) 2:00pm News Conference with the Organizers, speakers and foreign participants (Seoul) DMZ Forum, Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation July 15, Thursday Full-day Conference 09:00 Registration Lobby, Millennium Hilton Hotel, Seoul I. General Session (9:00am 12:30pm) 10:00 Opening Remark Dr. Ke Chung Kim, Chair, The DMZ Forum, USA 10:10 Welcome Address Honorable Mr. Hak-Kyu Sohn, Governor, Gyeonggi Province, ROK 10:25 Welcome Address Honorable Mr. Kyul-Ho Kwak, Minister, Ministry of Environment, ROK 10:40 Welcome Address Dr. Yersu Kim, Secretary-General, Korean National Commission UNESCO, Seoul) 10:55 Welcome Address - Honorable Mr. Se-Hyun Jung, Minister, Ministry of Unification, ROK II. Plenary Session (11:10AM 12:30PM) 11:10 Keynote Address:
Conservation of Korea s DMZ and Peace for Humanity Ms Cora Weiss, President or Alternate, Hague Appeal for Peace, New York. (accepted) 11:30 Keynote Address: Transboundary Peace and Nature Reserves: Lessons from South Africa (tentative title) - Dr. Willem Van Riet, South Africa Peace Parks Foundation, South Africa (accepted) 12:00 Keynote Address: Biodiversity issues and protected areas for sustainability with regard to the DMZ conservation (tentative title) - Dr. Shin Wang, IUCN WCPA, Vice Chair for East Asia, Hong Kong, China (Keywords:)( accepted) III. LUNCH (12:30 1:30pm) 12:30 Luncheon 01:30 SLIDE/VIDEO SHOW: Extinct Biodiversity in the DMZ Corridor: Tigers? Leopard? Mr. Sun Nam Lim, Korea Tiger/Leopard Conservation Institute IV. Plenary Technical Session (2:00 6:30pm) Conservation of the DMZ as A World Heritage Site 2:00 Satellite-based Remote Sensing Monitoring of Landscape Evolution by Environmental Stress Changes on Vegetation and Geology in the Extended DMZ Corridor Dr. W.-M. Boerner, Professor and Director, UIC- ECE Laboratory, University of Illinois at Chicago; Dr. Wooil Moon, Professor. ESI 3 Laboratory, Seoul National University, Seoul; and Dr. Joon-Sun Won, Professor, Director, Remote Sensing Center (RSC), Yonsei University, Seoul (accepted) 3:00 Importance and global significance of the DMZ corridor as habitats for migratory birds (tentative title) - Dr. George Archibald, Co-founder,
Chairman, International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA (accepted) Seoul 3:30 Dr. In-Kyu Lee, Professor Emeritus, College of Natural Sciences, National University, Seoul, Korea (Keywords: Biodiversity Korea 2000, present state of Korea s biodiversity, inventory, research, outreach, pan-korean nature conservation, importance of the DMZ preservation as National Heritage, and UNESCO s World Heritage Site) (Invited) 4:00 Dr. Il-Chung Kim, Professor, Dongguk University, Seoul & Dr. Young Sook Yeom, Professor, Chionbuk University, Chionjoo, Chionbuk (Keywords: Korean perspectives related to economic development and pan-korean nature conservation ) (accepted) Rivers 4:30 Dr. Vladimir Karakin, World Wildlife-Far Eastern Russia, Tumen Project, Russia (Keywords: Protected Areas Program and transboundary reserves in Russia ) (accepted) 5:00 Mr. Alessandro Balsamo, World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, Geneva, Switzerland (Keywords: UNESCO S World Heritage Site and its nomination process: Meaning of the DMZ World Heritage Site to the Korean people and humanity ) (accepted) 5:30 Panel Discussion Moderator Hall Healy (Keywords: Questions and answers related to the topics presented; public discussion on various aspects of the DMZ conservation; discussion with panelists on recommendations for action steps for preservation of DMZ; UNESCO designation of a World Heritage; Global Declaration) 6:30 Declaration for the World Heritage Site Designation of Korea s DMZ - Dr. Seung-ho Lee, President, The DMZ Forum IV. Conference Reception & Slide Show (Evening)
7:00PM Gyeonggi-Do Governor s Reception (Governor Hak-Kyu Sohn) (Keywords: Celebration of the Conference with host s remarks) July 16, Friday Half-day Conference V. Technical Session (09:00AM 12:00PM) Korea s DMZ, a National Heritage, as World Heritage Site for Humanity 09:00 The DMZ, World Heritage Site, and Korea s Nature Conservation - Dr. Ke Chung Kim, Professor, Director, Center for BioDiversity Research, Penn State; Chair, The DMZ Forum Board (accepted) - 09:30 UNESCO s World Heritage Program: Significance of Korea s DMZ as a World Heritage World Heritage Centre, UNESCO; Korean National Commission for UNESCO, Seoul ( accepted) 10:00 Perspectives on the Front DMZ Movement: Strategy for the DMZ s World Heritage Site Designation and Pan-Korean Nature Conservation - Mr. Bann Lee, Professor of Art, Duksung Women s University, Seoul; former Chair of the Institute of the Front DMZ Movement Breakout Session Moderators Mr. Hall Healy, Dr. Ke Chung Kim 10:30 Korea s DMZ World Heritage Movement Dr. Ke Chung Kim (Global Network for Outreach and Fund -raising for the DMZ World Heritage movement) 11:00 Breakout Session Mr. Hall Healy, Moderator (Action Steps for DMZ preservation, World Heritage Site designation; discussions in small groups) 11:20 Large Group Reconvening steps) (Group summary, discussion, formulation and prioritizing of action
11:40 Summary and Task Assignments (Organization, networking, and task forces: Executive Committee, Administration, Publicity/Promotion, Outreach/Education, Budge/Expenditure, Fund Raising/Partners, S cience/technology, Law/Society, Editorial/Publishing) 12:00 Adjournment VI. Field Trip to the DMZ (12:00-6:30 PM) 12:15 Leave Millennium Hilton Hotel 02:00 Arrive the western DMZ area Tour 04:00 Leave the DMZ area 6:30 Return to Millennium Hilton Hotel VII. Mountain Keumgang Tour (July 17-18, 2004) July 17, Saturday 02:00 am Leave Millennium Hilton Hotel, Seoul, for Kosung, south of the DMZ 08:30 am Cross the DMZ for Mt. Keumgang 10:00 am, Arrive Mt. Kumgang Free tour (hiking for Mt. Keumgang, show etc.) Spend a night at a tourist hotel at Mt. Keumgang Free tour (spa, shopping etc.) July 18, Sunday 04:00 pm Leave Mt Keumgang; Cross the DMZ for Kosung 11:00 pm Arrive in Millennium Hilton Hotel, Seoul NOTES: Tourists are allowed to bring cameras. To obtain the permit for each speaker for the Mt. Keumgang tour, we will need the following no later than June 30: 1) A photocopy of passport; 2) two photos (for-passport size),
3) Home address and phone numbers; 4) occupation/title. Please compile the above information and material, and fedex to: Mr. Woo-Yul Byun, Director, Cho & Comm, 6F, Han -il Building, 162-5, Dongkyo-dong, Mapo -Gu, Seoul 121-817, Korea; Seoul 100-101 Korea; Tel: (02)333-1402 -- THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE EVENTS COMPLETED --
Major References: Choi, Byung-Kwan. 1998. The Land of Sorrow, Anxiety, and Hope: The 155 miles along the Demilitarized Zone. The 450 days March by Choi, Byu ng-kwan. Seoul: Republic of Korea Army. 306 color plates and narratives + 12 pp Postscripts (in Korean and English). Kim, In-Young and Jae-Han Kim (Eds.). 1999. DMZ: Baljunjuk I-yong gwa Haeche (Developmental use and Demolition). Seoul: Sohwa.420 pp. (in Korean) Kim, Ke Chung. 1997. Preserving Biodiversity in Korea s Demilitarized Zone. Science 10 October 1997, 278:242-43. (In English) Kim, Ke Chung and Edward O. Wilson. 2002. The land that War Protected. The New York Times OP-Ed, Tuesday, December 10, 2002, A 31. Lee, In-Kyu, Ke Chung Kim, Jo Jae Myung, Lee Do-Won, Cho Do-soon, and Yu Jong-Su. 1994. Hankuk eui Saengmul-Dayang-Seung 2000: Saengmul Jawon eui Bojon, Yeunggu mit Jisok -Jugin I-yong eul wuihan Junryak. (Biodiversity Korea 2000: a Strategy to Save, Study and Sustainably Use Korea s Biotic Resources). Seoul: Minumsa. 405 pp. (In Korean) Lee, Bann. 1995. A Documentation in Korea: Front DMZ: Past, Present, and Future. Seoul: Institute of the Fine Arts Movement for the Abolishment of the Demilitarized Zone, a Sub-Institute of the Federation of Artists and Naturalists for DMZ Conservation. 488 pp. (in Korean and English). Westing, Arthur H. (Ed.). 1993. Transfrontier Reserves for Peace and Nature: A Contribution to Human Security. Nairobi: UNEP, United Nations Environmental Programme. 127 pp. Won, Byung-O et al. /Sungchun-Munhwa-Jaedan (eds.) 1996. Bi-MuJang-Jidae (The Demilitarized Zone). Seoul: Hyunam-sa. 612 pp. (in Korean)