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🇰🇷 South Korea /Environment & Climate

“I look forward to the day we can all go birdwatching together in North Korea’s Mundeok wetlands”

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • A German foundation, Hans Seidel Foundation, focuses on environmental cooperation and biodiversity conservation between North and South Korea.
  • The foundation's senior researcher, Choi Hyun-ah, highlighted the importance of including North Korea in ecological and climate change responses in Northeast Asia.
  • The foundation has facilitated joint projects on forest restoration and wetland preservation, aiming to share Germany's experience in post-unification environmental management.

The Hans Seidel Foundation, a German political foundation, is actively engaged in environmental cooperation and biodiversity conservation efforts across the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea. While sometimes mistaken for an environmental group, the foundation primarily aims to promote democracy and peace in developing countries, establishing its Korean office in 1987 and shifting focus to inter-Korean environmental exchange and conservation around 2005.

Birds that fly freely in the sky have no borders.

— Choi Hyun-ahSenior researcher at the Hans Seidel Foundation, reflecting on the nature of migratory birds and cross-border environmental cooperation.

Choi Hyun-ah, a senior researcher at the foundation, explained that North Korea cannot be excluded from ecological and climate change responses in Northeast Asia. She drew parallels to Germany's experience, where former border areas, once divided by fences, were preserved as nature reserves after reunification. The foundation aims to share this expertise with the Korean Peninsula, given its divided status.

It is impossible to exclude North Korea from the response to ecological and climate change in Northeast Asia.

— Choi Hyun-ahExplaining the rationale behind the foundation's engagement with North Korea on environmental issues.

Choi, who has researched borderland biodiversity and inter-Korean environmental cooperation for 11 years, initially became involved through a project focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by preventing deforestation in North Korea. She noted that North Korea was undergoing its own large-scale afforestation campaign, which facilitated cooperation. The foundation has also been involved in projects related to wetland conservation and migratory bird monitoring in North Korea, such as efforts in Anbyon County and the Rajin Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

As a divided nation, Germany has experience and know-how to share.

— Choi Hyun-ahHighlighting the relevance of Germany's post-unification environmental management experience to the Korean Peninsula.

Despite challenges posed by inter-Korean relations and the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has facilitated significant progress. This includes creating a new inventory of North Korean wetlands with the North Korean Ministry of Land and Environment Protection and the WWF, and the registration of two North Korean wetlands as Ramsar sites. Choi expressed hope for future birdwatching expeditions in North Korea, emphasizing the shared ecological heritage across borders.

I didn't know the project target was North Korea. When people say international cooperation, they don't usually think of North Korea.

— Choi Hyun-ahRecalling her initial surprise upon learning the scope of the forest restoration project.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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