"Let's Give Them as Diplomatic Gifts"... Water Deer: A Nuisance in Korea, a Precious Species Globally [News Seolcham]

Different Perspectives on Water Deer
In Korea, Seen as a 'Nuisance Animal' Due to Crop Damage and Traffic Accidents
Valued in the International Community... Listed as a Vulnerable Species
Successful Settlement Cases in the UK Also Draw Attention

Editor's Note'Seolcham' is a newly coined term meaning "refer to the explanation for more details." In [News Seolcham], we aim to highlight and explain in detail the parts of news stories that require fact-checking or further clarification.

"We should engage in water deer diplomacy, too." This suggestion has been circulating on online communities and social networking services (SNS) for several years. It is a tongue-in-cheek proposal to utilize Korea’s abundant water deer, much like China’s "panda diplomacy" strategy, in which China leases endangered pandas to other countries to strengthen diplomatic ties. While water deer are designated as harmful animals in Korea due to overpopulation, they are classified as an endangered species requiring global protection.

There are not many people in Korea who are fond of water deer. According to estimates from the Ministry of Environment, about 700,000 water deer currently inhabit Korea, accounting for over 85% of the global water deer population. The disappearance or sharp decline of natural predators such as wolves and leopards, which used to hunt water deer, has created an environment where water deer can breed virtually unchecked.

Because of their large numbers, water deer are often referred to as "nuisance animals" by farmers. Water deer mainly feed on tender grasses and young tree shoots, but they also invade rice paddies and fields, indiscriminately eating crops such as rice, potatoes, and cabbage. According to data submitted by Park Eui-koo, a member of the National Assembly’s Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee from the Democratic Party, to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Agricultural Policy Insurance and Finance Service, water deer accounted for 9,073,000,000 won in crop damage over the past five years (2018?2022), which is about 17% of the total 54,196,000,000 won in wildlife-related crop damage during that period.

A water deer is freely running around in the harvested fields of Yeongok-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon. Yonhap News

Water deer also account for an overwhelming proportion of animal roadkill incidents. According to Korea Expressway Corporation, of the 5,300 highway animal roadkill cases reported over the past five years (2020?2024), water deer were involved in 4,426 cases, or 83.5%. This was followed by raccoon dogs (343 cases, 6.5%) and wild boars (277 cases, 5.2%). Many drivers are concerned about traffic accidents caused by water deer suddenly darting across roads at night or in the early morning hours.

To address the overpopulation problem, the Ministry of Environment has designated water deer as harmful wild animals and manages them accordingly. Under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, water deer may be captured under certain conditions. Local government heads can issue capture permits to reduce damage caused by water deer.

Global Distribution Map of Water Deer Populations. National Institute of Ecology

Ironically, water deer are considered "precious animals" in the international community. Since 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed water deer as "Vulnerable" (VU) on its Red List. While the species is not on the brink of extinction, it is at increased risk of extinction in the near future if threats such as habitat destruction and illegal hunting persist. The Red List classifies threatened species worldwide into categories such as ▲EX (Extinct) ▲EW (Extinct in the Wild) ▲CR (Critically Endangered) ▲EN (Endangered) and ▲VU (Vulnerable).

Outside of Korea, some water deer populations exist in China and Russia. In China’s Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Hunan provinces, about 10,000 to 30,000 water deer inhabit the region, but their numbers are gradually declining due to habitat destruction, urbanization, and illegal hunting, leading to their designation as "national key protected wild animals." In Russia, water deer were first observed in 2019 in Land of the Leopard National Park in Primorsky Krai, near the Korean Peninsula border, and the population has since increased to an estimated 170 individuals.

Recently, a successful case of water deer settlement in the United Kingdom has attracted attention. In the late 19th century, the London Zoo and Woburn Abbey Deer Park imported and released water deer, some of which escaped or were released and established themselves in the wild. Currently, small populations inhabit the eastern regions of England, likely because the area’s wetlands and reed beds provide suitable environments for the survival and breeding of water deer, which prefer moist habitats.

The water deer population that has established itself in the UK has been found to possess a genetic lineage that is extinct in mainland China. A 2020 study by Imperial College London and the British Deer Society, titled "Conservation Genetics of Introduced Water Deer in Europe," concluded that "the water deer settled in the UK are from a population that is now extinct in mainland China" and "could be utilized in future research to conserve and restore water deer and enhance their genetic diversity."