Youngrae Kim

Documentary photographer

youngraekim.com

Saving South Korea's Tidal Flats

School: University of Missouri-Columbia

Depending on the time of day, t...fe and fighting climate change.

Depending on the time of day, tidal flats are either completely submerged under water or exposed to the air. Seen here at low tide, tidal channels criss cross an exposed tidal flat neighboring a residential neighborhood in Muan, South Korea. About 16 percent of the world's tidal flats have been destroyed in just the past few decades, but science is increasingly showing how important these ecosystems are for preserving wildlife and fighting climate change.

During an annual ceremony that ... harvest from the tidal flats.

During an annual ceremony that takes place on the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, Gwangho Chu bows before a ceremonial table placed on a tidal flat in Wando, a small island in South Korea. Coastal communities in the Yellow Sea region have continued to honor the centuries-old tradition of celebrating the ancestral spirits of the sea and praying for a good harvest from the tidal flats.

From left, Okji Kim, Yangim Ki...lture over thousands of years.

From left, Okji Kim, Yangim Kim, and Sunim Bae work together to make gamtae-kimchi, a special type of kimchi made with sea algae instead of cabbage. With limited farmland available, coastal communities have traditionally relied on the abundance of tidal flats, developing a unique culinary culture over thousands of years.

A seafood meal is served at a r..., threatening their livelihood.

A seafood meal is served at a restaurant in Yamido, a small island now connected to the mainland by the construction of the 21-mile-long seawall built as part of the Saemangeum development project. Many of the residents living around the seawall used to make a living working in the seafood industry, but the destruction of nearby tidal flats significantly decreased their harvests, threatening their livelihood.

Seoul National University rese...r quality and marine wildlife.

Seoul National University researcher Inok Lee hands a sediment sample to her colleague outside the Saemangeum seawall. Scientists like Lee are studying how the large-scale development project is harming water quality and marine wildlife.

People ride recreational boats...clamation projects like these.

People ride recreational boats through a man-made canal at a city park in Songdo, South Korea. Once a thriving tidal flat ecosystem, Songdo was built on reclaimed land and hailed for creating "a city out of nothing." Over the past 70 years, South Korea has lost over two-thirds of its tidal flats due to reclamation projects like these.

The 21-mile-long Saemangeum sea...en times the size of Manhattan.

The 21-mile-long Saemangeum seawall is the longest in the world. After its construction, tens of thousands of shorebirds disappeared from the area that used to be one of the most important habitats in the Yellow Sea region. The 100,000-acre reclamation project is seven times the size of Manhattan.

As excavators work on tidal fl...hat fly this route every year.

As excavators work on tidal flat reclamation in Songdo, shorebirds rest during their annual migration from Australia to the Russian Far East. Developing tidal flats in this region destroys critical habitats for the 50 million migratory birds that fly this route every year.

Great knots feed on clams and ... decades due to habitat loss.

Great knots feed on clams and seaworms at a tidal flat near Yubudo, a small island off the west coast of South Korea. About 80 percent of great knots have disappeared in the last two decades due to habitat loss.

Dongpil Oh and his son, Seungj...ts impacted by the Saemanguem.

National Institute of Ecology ...uo; researcher Inki Kwon said.

National Institute of Ecology researchers and local volunteers tag baby black-faced spoonbills with GPS trackers in Incheon, South Korea. Around 90 percent of these endangered shorebirds breed on the country’s west coast. After their worldwide population dropped below 300 in the late 1980s, conservation efforts have brought their numbers to around 5,200. “As a top predator in tidal flats, their health can indicate the health of the overall ecosystem,” researcher Inki Kwon said.

Left : Halophytes turn ... drastic daily changes.

Left: Halophytes turn red on a tidal flat in Sinan, South Korea. South Korean researchers are studying how salt-tolerant plants like these can boost tidal flats’ ability to fight climate change by absorbing carbon. Right: A blue-spotted mudskipper jumps during a mating dance at low tide in Sinan. Resting in its burrow at high tide and feeding in the mud when the tide goes out, the unusual, amphibious fish is adapted to the tidal flat’s drastic daily changes.

Ecotourist guide Sunjeong Heo ...t conservation and ecotourism.

Ecotourist guide Sunjeong Heo points out a flock of birds over a tidal flat at Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve in South Korea. Drawing over six million visitors a year, the UNESCO World Heritage site is a blueprint for the country’s tidal flat conservation and ecotourism.

The sun sets over Suncheon Bay ...ny are at risk of disappearing.

The sun sets over Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve at low tide. Tidal flats are a type of ecosystem that provide habitat for wildlife and help fight climate change—yet many are at risk of disappearing.

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Public Project

Saving South Korea's Tidal Flats

Copyright Youngrae Kim 2025

Updated Jan 2025

Location South Korea

Topics Aerial, Climate Change, Conservation, Culture stories, Documentary, Editorial, Environment, International Stories, Journalism, Ocean, Personal Projects, Photography, Photojournalism, Reportage, Social Justice, Water, Wildlife, World heritage

Summary

After two-thirds of the country’s tidal flats were lost to shoreline development, South Korean scientists set out to prove why this ecosystem is so essential.

National Geographic: South Korea is a test case on how to fight an ecological disaster

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