Endangered wild plants destroyed after overseas exhibitions

Domestic wild plants close to extinction were found to have been destroyed or presented as gifts after being released for exhibition overseas.

Grand National Party lawmaker Kim Moo-Sung of the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee revealed that at an inspection of the regional environment management agency, 540 domestic orchids near extinction were found to have been destroyed or given as presents after overseas exhibitions.

Animals and plants included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (C.I.T.E.S.) are stringently regulated when taken overseas in accordance with nature and environmental protection laws. When taking such plants or animals out of the country, approval must be received from the regional environmental agency director.

However, in the case of the Wonju regional environment agency, at a exhibition of Sokcho flowers in France, 26,055 plants of 138 varieties, including the Mt. Sorrak sunflower, were approved to be taken out of the country. After the exhibition, 440 plants were destroyed while 8,000 or so were given to local people.

In September 1998, 20 wild orchids and 80 plants that were taken out to China and the Netherlands were either destroyed or given away as gifts.

Sun Dae-In eodls@donga.com