The Republic of Korea (ROK) has announced that the 3rd of March each year will be National Park Day. The annual commemoration will raise public awareness about the importance of national parks and help to strengthen public support for the conservation and sustainable use of national parks.

The 3rd of March was chosen as it was on this day in 1967 that the National Park System was officially recognised in ROK. Jirisan National Park was designated as ROK’s first national park that same year. Since then, 22 National Parks have been established, covering a total area of 3,972km2, or 4% of the country. Importantly, these parks are home to more than 22,000 species of wildlife and are visited by more than 45 million people every year.

National Park Day will be an opportunity to highlight the role of national parks in supporting human wellbeing and conserving nature. Park visitors and volunteers, and local communities, will celebrate National Park Day each year as they share in the vision for a better future where people and nature coexist in harmony.

About the Korea National Park Service (KNPS)

Korea National Park Service (KNPS) is a professional protected area management organisation established in 1987. It manages around thirty percent of Korea’s protected areas including 21 national parks. Guided by its vision: ‘Leading Protected Areas Management by Connecting Nature, People, and the Future’, KNPS commits its resources to achieve conservation and sustainable use of national parks, and provides support to locally-managed protected areas.