Sinan-gun Introduces 14 Native Plant Species with Sinan Place Names

Exhibition of Video Materials at Jaeundo Sinan Native Plant Museum

Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, is home to a total of 14 native plant species that include the name Shinan, such as the Shinan Shrimp Orchid, which is classified as a second-class endangered species.

There are not many plant species in Korea that include place names in their plant names. Among them, Heuksando Bibi-chu is a Korean endemic species announced in 1989. It is a type of Bibi-chu native to Heuksando, Hongdo, Jangdo, and Gageodo in Shinan. Its leaves are glossy and shiny, and it blooms beautiful purple flowers.

According to the county on the 28th, to promote plant species related to place names in plant names like Heuksando Bibi-chu, an exhibition space promoting native plants with Shinan place names has been set up at the Jaeun-do Shinan Native Plant Museum.

An exhibition space promoting native plants with the place name Sinan at the Sinan Native Plant Museum on Jaeundo Island
Photo by Sinan-gun

Plants that adapt and live in the climate and environment of a country or specific region are called ‘indigenous plants’ or ‘native plants.’ The importance of native plants lies in the fact that they have accumulated valuable genetic information unique to them by surviving long-term climate changes and diseases in one place over many years.

Shinan is a region with high biodiversity, where 1,878 native plant species inhabit. It is not only a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve but also the Shinan tidal flats are registered as a World Natural Heritage site.

To learn more about native plants with the Shinan place name, you can visit the Jaeun-do Shinan Native Plant Museum. Opened in 2021, this museum is a space for exhibiting, preserving, and managing Shinan native plants. It is designed to efficiently convey and provide experiences related to native plants connected to Shinan through 20 thematic sections.

In Shinan-gun, native plants with the Shinan place name include Gageo Nuwun Kkeun-kki-kki, Gageo Kkorigo Sari, Gageo Aegi Daknamu, Gageo Gaebyeolkkot, Gageo Yangjik-kot, Heuksan Gashinamu, Hongdo Kkachisuyum, Hongdo Seodeolchwi, Hongdo Godeulppaegi, Gageo Julsacho, Heuksando Bibi-chu, Hongdo Wonchuri, Shinan Shrimp Orchid, and Dado Shrimp Orchid. Among these, the Shinan Shrimp Orchid, an endangered species native only to Shinan-gun, is especially noteworthy.

In 2021, the National Institute of Ecology, which signed a business agreement with Shinan-gun for the conservation and management of endangered wild species, succeeded for the first time in germinating and propagating seeds of the Shinan Shrimp Orchid.

Accordingly, various restoration measures both inside and outside habitats through the creation of alternative habitats are required. Shinan-gun will hold a special exhibition titled ‘Shinan Endangered Species’ for three months starting from the 27th of next month at the Jaeun-do Shinan Native Plant Museum. This special exhibition is preparing to inform about the status and significance of protecting Shinan’s endangered species.

A county official said, “The number of endangered wild species in Korea, revised in 2022, totals 282 species including otters,” and added, “We hope this special exhibition will be an opportunity to learn about endangered wildlife in Shinan and find ways to protect them together.”

He also added, “Shinan-gun is taking the lead in the conservation and management of native plants,” and “Through this, we aim to create an environment where endangered species like the Shinan Shrimp Orchid can naturally regenerate and to protect biodiversity.”