Wonju, August 9 - The Korea National Park Service (KNPS, Chairman Song Hyung-geun), an affiliate of the Ministry of Environment, has piloted the "ocean cleanup campaign" from August 8 at Hallyeohaesang National Park and Taeanhaean National Park. The "ocean cleanup campaign" is a compensation system that rewards visitors of national parks with gift certificates in exchange for collecting marine debris. A visitor who picks up marine litter in an envelope provided by the national park receives a KRW 5,000 worth of local gift certificate or a mobile voucher redeemable for a beverage. Up to 3,000 people can benefit from the program on a first-come, first-served basis.

The marine and coastal national parks are ecologically diverse areas inhabited by endangered species such as the milky fiddler crab (Uca lactea). Still, oceanic debris disrupts the marine ecosystems of such parks. In light of this, KNPS has designed the "Ocean cleanup campaign" so visitors can voluntarily engage in activities to improve the marine environment.

The campaign will take place both offline and online. Visitors to Hakdong Beach and Sinseondae Beach of Hallyeohaesang National Park can participate on-site. They will get an eco-friendly bag (20 L) and gloves at the field offices (Geoje Branch, Sinseondae Visitor Center). After filling up the bag with marine debris and returning it to the respective offices, they will get a local gift certificate. Online participation will be available for Gijipo Beach of Taeanhaean National Park. Participants will fill the eco-friendly bag (20 L) in the unmanned bag container in front of the Gijipo Visitor Information Center with marine waste and then post a photo on Instagram with the garbage bag's serial number. Upon ation from the Instagram page of the Taeanhaean National Park Office (instagram.com/knps taean), a mobile voucher will be issued. The collected trash must be placed in the designated location. In addition, 20 people will receive a monthly special product (sea salt) through a screening process if they post an additional photo of a piece of work made from waste (junk art) that expresses the message of marine conservation using oceanic debris picked up. More information about the campaign will be available on the KNPS website (knps.or.kr) starting August 5. 

KNPS intends to evaluate the results of the pilot operation of the "Ocean cleanup campaign" and, if successful, to implement the program in all marine and coastal national parks.

"I ask for your attention to this campaign and look forward to your participating in the 'Ocean cleanup campaign,' a reward system for collecting marine debris to conserve marine ecosystems in national parks," said Chairman Song of KNPS.

Contact: Kim Han-jin, Director

Marine Conservation Division / +82-(0)33-769-9386

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr