South Korea
Among the many freshwater fish species found nowhere else are the Somjin Bitterling (NIBR), the Korean Aucha Perch (FishBase), the South Torrent Catfish (PlanetCatfish), the Black Bullhead (PlanetCatfish), the Deogyu Fat-minnow (ResearchGate), the Korean Beautiful Loach (Loaches Online), the Korean Dark Chub (iNaturalist), the Spotted Barbel Gudgeon (FishBase), the Largefin Gudgeon (iNaturalist), the Yellowfin Sculpin (iNaturalist), and a goby Rhinogobius bedfordi (fig. 1 at BHL). Endemic genera include the loaches Koreocobitis (iNaturalist), the Korean Stumpy Bullhead Coreobagrus (NIBR), and the shiners Pseudopungtungia (FishBase) and (FishBase).
Marine
fish species
known only from South Korea include the Spotted Goby (FishBase),
the Tape Blenny (fishillust.com),
the pricklebacks Eulophias koreanus (FishBase) and Dictyosoma tongyeongense (GBIF),
the Korean Darter Dragonet (ResearchGate),
a lumpfish Eumicrotremus jindoensis (GBIF), and a hagfish Eptatretus
wandoensis (ZooKeys).
The Korean Crevice Salamander Karsenia
koreana (AmphibiaWeb)
(iNaturalist)
is
the only lungless salamander known from Asia. Other endemic
amphibians include the Korean Clawed
Salamander Onychodactylus
koreanus (AmphibiaWeb),
the Yangsan Clawed Salamander Onychodactylus
sillanus (fig. 1D-E at ResearchGate),
the Cheju Salamander Hynobius
quelpartensis (iNaturalist),
the Korean Small Salamander
Hynobius unisacculus
(GBIF),
the
Kori Salamander Hynobius
yangi (iNaturalist),
the Cryptic Uiryeong Salamander Hynobius
perplicatus and the Geoje Salamander Hynobius geojeensis
(both at Amaël
Borzée), the Southern Korean Salamander Hynobius notialis (iNaturalist),
and the Yellow-bellied Tree Frog Hyla
flaviventris (Species
New to Science) (iNaturalist).
The
endemic Jeju Striped Field Mouse Apodemus
chejuensis (Jeju
WM) (iNaturalist)
is sometimes considered a a full species distinct from the more
widespread Striped Field Mouse Apodemus
agrarius.
Insects restricted to South Korea include a grasshopper Megaulacobothrus jejuensis
(iNaturalist),
a rock-crawler Namkungia
magnus (GBIF),
a cave cricket Anoplophilus koreanus (iNaturalist), a katydid Sphagniana
monticola (iNaturalist),
the butterflies Favonius
koreanus (greenlens)
and Argynnis
(or Fabriciana) hallasanensis (ResearchGate),
a tuft moth Meganola
parki (GBIF),
a tussock moth Euproctis
fulvatus (ResearchGate),
the ants Stenamma
koreanee (AntWiki)
and Strumigenys calvus
(ResearchGate),
the longhorn beetles
Demonax seoulensis
(iNaturalist)
and Ropica
coreana (onidiras),
a stag beetle Leptaulax
koreanus (KNA
WM), the ground beetles Acoptolabrus
changeonleei (Insects
of Korea) and Kurasawatrechus
glabratus (NIBR),
a soldier beetle Lycocerus
jejuensis (iNaturalist),
a dung beetle
Koreoxyomus
koreanus (NIBR), a shining leaf
chafer Anomala
quelparta (IUCN),
a flower chafer Mawenzhena
koreana (GBIF),
a cicada Cicadetta
abscondita
(naturing.net),
a planthopper Kuvera
hallasanensis (iNaturalist),
a stonefly Yoraperla han
(NIBR),
and a mayfly Procloeon
halla (p. 102 of National
Red List WM
pdf).
Molluscs
unique to South Korea include a freshwater snail Koreanomelania nodifila
(H2O-NET)
and several land snails: Koreanohadra
koreana
(NIBR),
Karaftohelix
adamsi (K.
Kimura), Koreozospeum
nodongense (ZooKeys),
Eostrobilops hirasei
(Kyoto
Univ. Museum), and Mirus
junensis
(Insects
of Korea). Endemic spiders
include a funnel
weaving spider Agelena
koreana (NAVER),
a
purseweb spider Atypus
coreanus (iNaturalist),
and a daddy long-legs spider Pholcus kwanaksanensis
(Naturing).
Other endemic invertebrates include the millipedes Epanerchodus kimi
(fig. 4V at ScienceDirect)
and Koreoaria pallida
(Naturing),
a land planarian Diversibipalium
koreense (iNaturalist),
an earthworm
Amynthas jiriensis
(Insects
of Korea), a crab Sakaina
koreensis (Marine
Species WM), the freshwater shrimps Macrobrachium koreana
(Insects
of Korea) and Neocaridina
keunbaei (NIBR),
and a freshwater amphipod Jesogammarus
ilhoii
(Insects
of Korea). A cave-dwelling springtail Gulgastrura
reticulosa (Checklist
of the Collembola) (KoreaScience
pdf) is the sole member of the endemic family
Gulgastruridae.
Vascular plants unique to South Korea include the Korean Fir Abies koreana (iNaturalist)
(IUCN), Campanula
takesimana (flickr),
an orchid Habenaria cruciformis
(Wild
Flower Korea WM), Euphorbia
fauriei (NIBR),
a bamboo Sasa
quelpaertensis
(Asian
Flora WM),
Cotoneaster
wilsonii (PDBK), Lycoris chejuensis (NAVER),
Hosta yingeri (Hosta
Photo Library), Scrophularia
takesimensis (NIBR), Arisaema takesimense
(NIBR),
Ranunculus crucilobus
(NAVER),
Bupleurum latissimum
(wildgreen.co.kr),
Maackia fauriei (Asian
Flora WM), Iris koreana
(SIGNA WM),
Glochidion chodoense
(iNaturalist),
Impatiens hambaeksanensis
(PhytoKeys),
Tilia insularis (BRIS
WM), Chrysosplenium ramosissimum
(PhytoKeys),
and Hepatica insularis
(Asian
Flora WM).
Endemic vascular plant genera include the White Forsythia Abeliophyllum (Asian Flora WM), Coreanomecon (iNaturalist), Sillaphyton (botsad.ru pdf) (Naturing), Wangsania (Korea Science pdf) (NAVER), and a fern Mankyua (Miami Univ. WM) (p. 34 of Shoal pdf) (iNaturalist).
Lichens known only from South Korea include Arthonia dokdoensis (ResearchGate) and Thelopsis ullundoensis (ResearchGate). Endemic fungi include Lactifluus holophyllus (Faces of Fungi), Russula orientipurpurea (GBIF), and Cantharellus citrinus (MycoKeys). Endemic non-vascular plants include the liverworts Solenostoma jirisanense (ResearchGate) and Marsupella koreana (GBIF) and a moss Amphidium clastophyllum (GBIF). Endemic marine algae include Codium spinulosum (NIBR) and Martensia flammifolia (NIBR).
Important ecoregions include the Southern Korea Evergreen Forests (EoE) and the Central Korean Deciduous Forest (EoE). A book on the endemic species of Korea can be found at (NIBR pdf) and the Korean Red List of Threatened Species (National Red List WM pdf) illustrates numerous endemic species. Additional Korean Peninsula endemic species that are shared with North Korea can be found here.