HANTANGANG BECOMES UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

[Anchor Lead]

The Hantangang River and its vicinity that stretches through Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do Provinces has become the nation's fourth UNESCO Global Geopark. The world has recognized the stunning landscape shaped by lava 500,000 years ago and the unpolluted ecosystem within the Demilitarized Zone.

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Stunning sights. Created over the course of five-hundred-thousand years. Rocks and beaches shaped by the river. Pillow-shaped rock formation, created when lava met the water from the river. A waterfall carved out from the basalt cliffs. The area along the Hantangang River that showcase untouched nature and volcanic topographical features earned UNESCO Global Geopark recognition. It took the local governments of Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do Provinces four years of coordinated efforts dating back to 2016 to register the area with UNESCO. The global body gave its final approval to the Hantangang River's Global Geopark status at the UNESCO Executive Board meeting held on June 29th. The registered area includes the basins in Pocheon-gun and Yeoncheon-gun Counties in Gyeonggi-do Province and Cheorwon-gun County in Gangwon-do Province. The new geopark measures 1,165 square-kilometers, about 400 times the size of Yeouido. It also features 26 geological and cultural markers such as the natural monument Bidulginang Waterfall and Hwajeokyeon Pond. The Hantangang River and the surrounding area is Korea's fourth UNESCO Global Geopark.

[Soundbite] LEE YONG-CHEOL(VICE-GOVERNOR II FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS, GYEONGGI-DO PROVINCIAL GOV'T) : "The key challenge is creating an environment that makes it easier for Koreans to experience nature and geologists to study the area."

The Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do provincial governments plan to develop environmental maintenance, educational and tourism projects so that the Hantangang River can become a popular tourist attraction as well as a geological research site.