Hapcheon County Begins Full-Scale Process for National Geopark Certification of Meteorite Impact Crater

Hapcheon Holds Commencement Briefing Session for National Geopark Feasibility and Basic Academic Research and Certification Application Service

Hapcheon County in South Gyeongsang Province announced on April 22 that it will officially begin the process of obtaining National Geopark certification, focusing on the Hapcheon meteorite impact crater.

The county held a commencement briefing session for the "Hapcheon National Geopark Feasibility and Basic Academic Research and Certification Application Service" and shared its implementation plan for the next two years.

The commencement briefing session for the Hapcheon National Geopark certification service is underway.

The National Geopark system is certified by the Minister of Environment to preserve areas with outstanding geoscientific value and landscapes, and to utilize them for education and tourism. Once certified, the county can secure management and operational expenses for the geopark through national funding. There are no separate restrictions on activities, allowing for both the preservation of geological resources and their systematic use as educational and tourism assets. After certification, a re-certification process is required every four years.

This service aims to complete the application for National Geopark candidate status by December this year, by discovering around ten new geological sites in addition to the only meteorite impact crater in Korea, located in Hapcheon. If selected as a candidate site, the goal is to meet the certification requirements and receive final National Geopark certification in 2027.

During the briefing session, specific implementation plans were presented to achieve National Geopark certification, including: ▲ specialized academic research to prove the value of geological heritage ▲ preparation of a National Geopark geological heritage report and candidate application ▲ scientific feasibility studies of geological sites and development of geology education programs ▲ training of geopark interpreters and planning of community participation programs ▲ and the application for National Geopark certification. The session also included discussions on strategies for discovering hidden geological sites in the county and substantiating their geological value.

Kim Yuncheol, the county governor, stated, "Hapcheon is the only region in Korea with a meteorite impact crater, which is a valuable asset that goes beyond being a simple natural heritage to encompass future industries, education, and tourism. Through National Geopark certification, we will develop Hapcheon County into a leading geotourism city in Korea."