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South Jeolla Province mudflats to become Korea's next tourism hot spot
Mudflats in Sinan County in South Jeolla Province / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration
By Ko Dong-hwan
By Ko Dong-hwan
Mudflats in coastal regions of South Jeolla Province have been promoted as the latest must visit destination in a bid to boost Korean tourism, the provincial government said, Jan. 11.
The attraction spots are located in the country's southwestern Sinan County as well as Boseong County and the adjacent city of Suncheon. Spread over a 1,160 square kilometer area, the mudflats in the two locations form a coastal area with diverse sedimentary systems.
Shinan County mudflat, the largest in the country, has particular environmental significance in that it has diverse types of mudflat subtypes, from estuarine to open embayed, archipelago and semi-enclosed. Its sedimentary system also goes as deep as 40 meters ― believed to be the deepest in the world, according to reports.
The South Jeolla mudflats were selected in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Heritage List in July 2021, together with other mudflats in Seocheon County in South Chungcheong Province and Gochang County in North Jeolla Province. However, Shinan mudflats accounts for about 85 percent of the total area of all the sites combined.
Using the Korean word for mudflat, “getbol,” UNESCO explains the four sites host high levels of biodiversity with 2,150 species of flora and fauna, including 22 globally threatened species.
The sites are also home to 47 endemic and five endangered marine invertebrate species ― like the mud octopus and Japanese mud crab ― besides a total of 118 migratory bird species for which the site provides a critical habitat. “The sites demonstrate the link between geodiversity and biodiversity, and demonstrates the dependence of cultural diversity and human activity on the natural environment,” the organization said.
Having been proven to naturally store carbon emissions, mudflats, according to the South Jeolla provincial government, have attracted global attention as countries across the world are aiming towards carbon neutralization in order to fight the impending effects of climate change.
The provincial government has formed a partnership with tourism agencies Hanatour ITC and TRAZY, coming up with five tourism programs to attract foreign tourists. The programs offer experiences such as catching mud octopus and blood clams from mudflats and cooking them.
The authority plans to start the programs in April this year when access to mudflats becomes more available. The programs will first aim their efforts at foreigner residents who already live in Korea, later expanding to overseas tourists.
“South Jeolla mudflats are significant in having preserved a rich marine biodiversity but they are also an important tourism resource to represent Korea's eco-friendly tourism,” said a provincial government official. “We will maneuver the programs in ways that they won't harm the natural habitats and our natural beauty can be promoted to a global stage.”
The provincial government in December 2021 said they will invest over 970 billion won ($814 million) over the next five years starting this year to maintain the mudflats' ecological and economic value as well as developing them as a global brand.
Korean mudflats earned global fame in September 2021 when state-run Korea Tourism Organization introduced mudflats in Seosan County in South Chungcheong Province in a series of YouTube videos to promote the country's tourism titled “Feel the Rhythm of Korea.” The Mad Max-themed video beat seven other clips from the promotional video project on YouTube, having attracted over 34.7 million hits as of Jan. 12.