News Archives
Baekdu Daegan Expedition Concludes Infield Portion of Project
On Saturday, November 10, the in-field portion of the Baekdu Daegan Expedition Project concluded in Seoraksan National Park. Now is the time to put pen to paper and get all that research ready, sorted, and resorted for the two publications that are the ultimate aim of the Project.
KML president Shawn James Morrissey is acting as assitant researcher on the project and will aim his attention on the environmental aspect of the project. The chief researcher is Professor David A. Mason, one of Korea's most prominent scholars in the field of Korean folk religion, specifically regarding the dogma and worship of 'mountain spirits'.
The driving forces behind the expedition are Roger Shepherd and Andrew Douch, who took on the challenge of trekking the entire route starting in the south at Jirisan and finishing in the north at Seoraksan. Shepherd, Douch, Mason, and Morrissey rose a toast of dodeokju (traditional liquor) to the Baekdu Daegan, signalling the end of the trek and the beginning of the writing.
For more information on the trek, please visit the project's blog.
Sad News: Young half moon bear found dead in Jirisan (November 2007)
Recently, a young Asiatic black bear, also known as the Halfmoon bear (Ursus thibetanus), was found dead in Jirisan National Park.
The young female bear, named Dalgung, was one of the handful of Asiatic black bears left in South Korea. Globally, the species is listed as 'vulnerable' on the Endangered Species List. Reports indicate that there are less than thirty wild bears left in South Korea and their population is concentrated in Jirisan National Park where they enjoy protected status.
The cause of Dalgung's untimely death is still unknown, but scientists are working to discover the cause.
You can view a photo and the Korean story here.
Reverting the name of Bukhansan
Recently the KML has had the opportunity to meet Mr Kim Hyun-poong, the mayor of the Gangbuk District of Seoul. Mayor Kim is an avid hiker - he goes every morning bright and early at 6:00am - and a sincere supporter of environmental protection. On a recent hike together, KML President, Shawn Morrissey, and Mayor Kim discussed many things regarding mountain protection. Mayor Kim supports the KML's cause and is willing to work with us. In return, the KML has agreed to support the Mayor's campaign to rename certain aspects of Bukhansan National Park.
The three main peaks of the park - Baekundae, Insubong, and Man-gyeongbong - were originally called Samgaksan ('three horned mountain'); however, at some point during the late 17th/early 18th century, these three peaks collectively were in passing referred to as Bukhansan ('mountains north of the Han River'). In recent years on all government maps the three peaks are officially collectively called Bukhansan. To rectify the mistake, Mayor Kim's office is lobbying the central government to revert the name of the three central peaks back to their original Samgaksan, and also change Baekundae back to its original Baekunbong. Historically and culturally this is an important campaign to clear up ongoing misconceptions about the actual name of the mountain in the north of Seoul.
Note: the range of Bukhansan National Park not only includes Samgaksan but also Dobongsan, farther to the northeast.
Erosion and Small Unnamed Peak
As part of the KML's primary work, we are embarking upon the task of mapping out Bukhan-san National Park's trails as according to erosion levels.
We are currently measuring soil erosion via observation & grading and via silt fences. Once complete, the erosion map will be able to gauge how erosion is advancing as the map may be used later to tell the history of erosion along the trails. Once the map is complete, we will make it available to the public.
One problem we are aware of is that once an area is mapped for erosion and we move on to other trails for mapping, previously mapped areas may experience more erosion. In order to combat this, our trail reconnaissance team, led by Council Member Kevin Tarpey, will continously check mapped trails for further degradation.
Presently, trails along the south western portion of the park, near Jokdori-bong, Hyangro-bong and Bibong, have already been mapped. The routes surrounding a peak to the east of Hyangro-bong and to the south of Bibong have been inspected and mapped. The peak itself was found by a team to contain remnants of the ancient native shamanist culture of mountain worship. Unfortunately, the items that suggest the peak to be, or to have been, of shamanist importance were found vandalized. Statues of mountain spirits found in a cave were found smashed and Christian crosses have been spray painted on rocks, clearly once used by shamans as altars, on the approaching trail. The peak, though well-known to boulders and climbers, appears to be nameless. It is approximately 450m above sea level and has been dubbed Mudang-bong, literally "Shaman Peak".
As the map continues to grow and progress, we will provide more info.
YEAR IN REVIEW: The Korean Mountaineering League is One Year Old!
On April 24, 2005, the Korean Mountaineering League went into Bukhan Mountain for its very first cleanup. On that warm spring day, the KML Council, along with members and volunteers, broke up into three teams, headed for three different trails and cleaned up and removed 20 litres of trash and recyclable material from the mountain environment. The KML's first cleanup was a complete success, and was possible only with the help of hard-working volunteers.
In its first year, the KML has removed more than 900 litres of trash from Bukhan Mountain, been featured in newspapers and television, has joined international networks for ecologically secure mountain development in developing nations (such as Nepal and Tanzania), has received recognition from the Korean Ministry of Environment, other mountain and environment related organisations, and more importantly, from the Korean people. None of this was possible without the continued financial and moral support of our members and volunteers.
Despite these successes, the KML has failed in other fields: our campaigns have yielded slow results and membership has come to a standstill. Therefore, it is the KML's devoted promise to itself and the mountain ecology for which it works to broaden its local network and acheive greater media outreach. We look forward to this new season, to continued success, and the unwavering assistance of our supporters.
A sincere thanks from the KML to everyone involved. Cheers, for many more years!
Ministry of Environment Launches 'Reuse' Oriented Campaign
In an effort to help curb waste and promote the 'reuse philosophy', Korea's Ministry of Environment announced on August 22, 2005 the 'Bring Your Own Cup to Work' campaign. Paper cups, widely popular in workplaces, will no longer be allowed in the Ministry's offices. The campaign has been raised as a means to "prevent the excessive use of our resources and to protect our environment by reducing solid waste."
The Ministry will be giving each of its employees a ceramic cup and is encouraging other workplaces to do the same.
Korea Joins Controversial Climate Pact
On July 28, six nations made a surprise statement concerning a new policy to combat climate change. Led by the United States and Australia, the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development is being met with little praise.
The nations are: the USA, Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea. The USA and Australia are the only two nations of the six that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The Partnership claims it will combat climate change mostly via technology transfers. The signatories of the Partnership say that the pact will compliment the Kyoto Protocol and that the initiatives of the pact will be consistent with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, the Partnership is a non-binding agreement, it does not state that the signatories must make any formal commitments, nor does the pact legally commit the signatories to make any reductions in their greenhouse gas emissions.
The technologies to be focused upon by the signatories include energy efficiency, renewables, hydrogen, biotechnologies and nuclear fission. This comes at an interesting time as the US just recently granted India, a signatory to the Partnership, access to nuclear technology without forcing India to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Act.
Many have openly criticized the Partnership, calling it an underhanded scheme by the US and Australia to draw the other signatories away from the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding pact. Breaking the Protocol may result in legal action by the UN. Others see the Partnership as a way for the USA (a country responsible for 25% of global CO2, but holding only 6% of the global population), a fierce detractor of Kyoto, to draw attention away from the UN led Protocol at the upcoming Conference of the UNFCCC in Montreal.
Countries, like Canada, and Environmental NGOs, like Friends of the Earth, have released statements denouncing the Partnership. The EU has cautiously accepted it.
South Korea's government, a usual follower of such US policy, is potentially facing harsh criticism for joining the Partnership. The Partnership is being viewed as a rejection of Kyoto by Partnership signatories that have already ratified Kyoto. This would not be the first time that South Korea has not followed through with an international environmental agreement. South Korea broke the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands by initiating a huge reclamation project of Saemangeum, the most vital tidal wetland in the Australasian Flyway.
All materials copyrighted unless otherwise noted, 2005-2008
