Amid the growing sense of alert on global warming, climate changes and ecosystem destruction, it has become a key task to secure plant resources and promote related research.

In step with such worldwide competition, Korea has decided to create a new national arboretum in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, according to the Korea Forest Service.

The arboretum will be located near Baekdu-Daegan, the country’s longest mountain range, which runs along the entire Korean Peninsula. It is also to become the largest alpine botanical garden in the Asian region.

“Since the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in 1993, the effective use of plant resources has become a key issue for most countries, not only in the environmental preservation perspective but also in the policy perspective,” a KFS official said.

“As Korea is relatively rich in forest and plant resources, our stance is to respond actively to the calls for preservation and to grab an initiative in the world forum.”

With its rather moderate climate conditions, Korea may also act as a biological haven for a variety of temperate and polar plants, which are vulnerable to dramatic climate changes, according to the official.

“In addition, we are hoping to draw the public’s attention to Baekdu-Daegan, a long-neglected heritage of our peninsula,” he added.

The new arboretum was inspired by the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, officials explained.

Established in 1621 as a medicinal plant site, the Edinburgh garden is currently one of the world’s frontrunners in botanical studies, specializing in the preservation of coniferous trees.

“The history of botanical gardens and related studies in Korea is relatively short,” said the official.

The country’s first-ever botanical garden was the Hongneung botanical garden, which was built in Cheongnyangni in northern Seoul in 1922.

“But these early botanical gardens were limited in size and content, as artistic appreciation for plants was not so common back then,” the official said.

“Our ancestors mostly saw wild plants and herbs as medicine material.”

It was only in the mid-20th century that people got used to the modern concept of botanical gardens, the official said.

“Over recent years, there has been a growing demand for public rest areas such as parks and botanical gardens,” he said.

“In the coming years, they will be considered a crucial factor in public welfare and happiness.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)