Gwangneung Forest, a well-preserved hardwood forest in central Korea, was listed as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the local government said Thursday.
The 25,000-hectare forest, which stretches over three major cities in Gyeonggi Province, has deciduous hardwood more than 500 years old, farmlands and private forests.
The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a UNESCO World Heritage site, are also located within the zone along with the Korea National Arboretum.
The forest was added to the list Wednesday during a meeting for the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program in Paris, officials said.
Gwangneung Forest will be included in UNESCO's integrated management system and its ecosystem will be closely monitored by the organization, according to the officials.
At the meeting, UNESCO added new sites in 15 different countries to its biosphere reserve for a total of 564 sites in 109 countries.//Yonhap
The 25,000-hectare forest, which stretches over three major cities in Gyeonggi Province, has deciduous hardwood more than 500 years old, farmlands and private forests.
The royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a UNESCO World Heritage site, are also located within the zone along with the Korea National Arboretum.
The forest was added to the list Wednesday during a meeting for the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program in Paris, officials said.
Gwangneung Forest will be included in UNESCO's integrated management system and its ecosystem will be closely monitored by the organization, according to the officials.
At the meeting, UNESCO added new sites in 15 different countries to its biosphere reserve for a total of 564 sites in 109 countries.//Yonhap
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