Sinan County Registers "Migratory Bird Museum" and "Native Plant Museum" as Public Museums

Leap Forward as a Biodiversity Hub Embracing UNESCO Natural Heritage

The Migratory Bird Museum, exhibiting over 800 bird specimens including the only domestic white-bellied sea eagle. Provided by Sinan County.

Sinan County in South Jeolla Province has officially registered the Sinan Migratory Bird Museum on Heuksando Island and the Sinan Native Plant Museum on Jaeundo Island as Type 1 public specialized museums, thereby strengthening their status as hubs for biodiversity and environmental education.

On July 24, Sinan County announced that both museums completed their registration as public museums under the "Museum and Art Gallery Promotion Act" on July 22. This move is expected to serve as a significant turning point for the systematic preservation and utilization of ecological and cultural resources within the Sinan Dadohae Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.

The Sinan Migratory Bird Museum exhibits over 800 bird specimens, including the only domestic white-bellied sea eagle and the scaly-sided merganser, and has played a key role in both bird ecosystem conservation and visitor education. It is the only specialized migratory bird museum in Korea equipped with exhibition and storage capabilities focused on bird taxidermy and biological specimens.

Meanwhile, the Sinan Native Plant Museum features a 804-square-meter exhibition space along the Jaeundo beach, consisting of 20 themed halls. It supports participatory learning for visitors through a variety of integrated content that reflects the unique plants of Sinan and the characteristics of the island ecosystem.

Since opening the Migratory Bird Museum in 2015 and the Native Plant Museum in 2021, the county has worked to assign specialized curatorial staff and improve exhibition facilities. With this public registration, the two museums are now recognized as expanding their roles beyond simple exhibition spaces to become "hubs for lifelong environmental education."

Kim Daein, Acting Mayor of Sinan County, stated, "These two museums are symbolic spaces representing Sinan's natural scenery and biodiversity," and added, "We will further develop them into convergent museums that combine exhibition, education, and cultural arts functions, fostering them as centers for the conservation and utilization of world natural heritage."

With this registration as public museums, Sinan County plans to expand experiential education programs related to migratory birds and island plants, and to strengthen the museums' functions as bases for implementing biosphere conservation strategies.