Decades of isolation turn Korea's DMZ into a thriving wildlife sanctuary

Created after the Korean War armistice in 1953, the Korean Demilitarised Zone spans about 155 miles and 2.5 miles in width, remaining one of the world’s most fortified borders. Because civilian access is severely limited, the corridor has avoided roads, farms and development, allowing a rich ecosystem to develop. Over the past seven decades, researchers have identified more than 6,000 species, including 38% of South Korea’s endangered fauna such as musk deer, leopards, long-tailed gorals and Asiatic black bears.

The wetlands within the DMZ host seven of the fifteen global crane species, providing a rare sanctuary for the endangered red-crowned and white-naped cranes. NGOs like Green Korea United and the DMZ Ecology Research Institute conduct surveys, advocate for protected status, and test micro-habitats such as rice-paddy weeds and rock piles to aid wildlife movement. Limited eco-tourism, including guided bird-watching trails, is now permitted under strict controls.