The Hyangnobong zone, which includes Hyangnobong, Chiljeolbong, and the Gojindong valley of Geonbongsan, has the relatively well-conserved natural environment because it is the civilian-regulated zone free from active human intervention. After the Korea Natural Preservation Association had reported its condition through the general scientific research on the nature of the Hyangnobong zone in 1972, the zone of the Hyangnobong mountains, which includes Chiljeolbong, Hyangnobong, and Geonbongsan, was designated as the 249th natural monument in 1973. There are lots of Mongolian oaks, finest trees in the Korean Temperate Zone, below 1000m above the sea level of the zone.

Over 1000m range communities of spruce and big cone pines separately. No less than 648 species, 334 genus, 94 families of floras were reported to be found. It was reported that among them are 27 species of the Korean endemic plants including Diamond bluebell, dageletiana, lasianthum, and okamotoi, and 3 species of the special plants, that is, japonicum, hologlottis, and wilfordii. The Hyangnobong zone, whose environment is at the 8th grade, is a thesaurus of insects. Over 40 species of insects were caught to record for the first time in this area till now. There are numerous gold bugs, which are hard to find in other places. No less than 739 species, 140 genus, and 17 families of insects were reported to be found there. Over 40 species of Mammalia including wild boars, deer, and elks are reported to inhabit there, among which are natural monuments such as otters(330th), musk deer(216th), and antelopes(217th). It is also a thesaurus of animals: people living at neighboring Jinbu-ri and Jangsan-ri say that they can easily have sight of raccoons, deer, elks, and wild boars.

Habitat of Various Rare Plants

The Hyangnobong zone is the plateau, from the side of where Geumgangsan in the northern area can be seen directly, has numerous rare plants from spring to winter. Geonbongsan, connected with Hyangnobong to the north, has been known as a gateway to Geumgangsan for a long time; the Gojindong valley, particularly, is reported to have many kinds of rare plants as well as numerous wild animals. When the foot of Hyangnobong is covered with snow and ice by one meter in thickness in early spring (about early in April), in the high mountain over 1000m above the sea level spreads the splendid sight despite the cold wind: tiny flowers in various colors come out by cutting through the frozen-up land.

Virgin Forests at the Gojindong Valley of Geonbongsan

Goseong has 569 kinds of plants; such a variety is made possible by the high mountain, Geonbongsan, and the seashore, which make the rearing environment diverse. There are many zones at over 8th grade in the green land, which means the area has relatively well-preserved natural environment in the demilitarized zone. The Gojingdong valley at Sudong-myeon in Goseong-gun, which has well-grown thick virgin forests including Mongolian oaks and pine trees within the wire fence, is known as the place of great value for conservation of nature. Most plants growing there are acicular trees such as pine trees and fir trees, and some deciduous trees grow among them.

Thesaurus of Korean Local Plants which Make Antelopes Skip about There

Antelopes had been said to be disappeared completely from South Korea before some were found out in the Gojingdong valley. Antelope, inhabiting only North-east Asia including the Pome plateau in Tibet, Nepal, China, and Korea, is a wild animal of great value for protection because it is a rare and its breeding coefficient is too low, so that Korea designated it as the 217th natural monument to protect. Antelope, living only in the high mountain over 1,000m, likes to be alone. It is characterized by the protective coloration, which helps it not to be found by people. It is one of the wild animals hard to fin

so you can have sight of its gnawing branches of trees only in the winter when leaves are fallen and all is covered with white snow in the demilitarized zone with the armistice line where people cannot approach. This rare animal, the number of which is too small, can lead a life without anxiety thanks to the demilitarized zone built to divide the nation in south and north; ironically, it is a gift from the national division. Antelope lives on the rocky cliff that the other animal cannot approach. Once Korea had them in the high mountainous area of the Taebaek mountains including Seoraksan in Gangwon-do, Woraksan in Jecheon, Chungcheongnam-do, and Tonggosan in Uljin.