The Korean Border Demilitarized Zone Establishes a Paradise for Wildlife!
Foreign media reported on March 2, 2023.
North Korea's Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), despite its name, is the most militarized border in the world. However, due to the absence of humans, this sparsely populated land across the Korean Peninsula has become a refuge for wildlife and is home to many of North Korea's rarest species.
The DMZ is located between South Korea and North Korea and roughly bisects the peninsula. Parts of the 250-kilometre-long strip are still covered with mines and barbed wire, but much remains "no man's land" and civilians are forbidden to trample on it.
Like the abandoned land around Chernobyl, the lack of human intervention gives biodiversity a great opportunity to flourish. An estimated 6,168 species live in the DMZ, many of which are threatened with extinction. Of the 267 endangered species that live on the Korean Peninsula, 102 live in the demilitarized zone.
Given the natural wonders here, scientists have repeatedly called for the protection of the demilitarized zone. However, tensions between North and South Korea remain very tense and show no signs of resolving anytime soon, making the goal of protecting the region very tricky.
