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 (FishBase), the pricklebacks Eulophias koreanus (FishBase) and Dictyosoma tongyeongense (GBIF), the Korean Darter Dragonet (ResearchGate), the Korean Sand Burrower (ZooKeys), 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 (iNaturalist), a stag beetle Leptaulax koreanus (KNA WM), the ground beetles Acoptolabrus changeonleei (Naturing) 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 (fig. 5 at KNJC), Karaftohelix adamsi (K. Kimura), Koreozospeum nodongense (ZooKeys), Eostrobilops hirasei (Kyoto Univ. Museum), and Mirus junensis (NIBR). 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 deogyusanensis (ResearchGate), a crab Sakaina koreensis (Marine Species WM), the freshwater shrimps Macrobrachium koreana (NAVER) and Neocaridina keunbaei (NIBR), and a freshwater amphipod Jesogammarus ilhoii (NAVER). 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 Campanula takesimana (flickr), an orchid Habenaria cruciformis (Wild Flower Korea WM), Euphorbia fauriei (NIBR), a bamboo Sasa quelpaertensis (Asian Flora WM), Lycoris chejuensis (NAVER), Hosta yingeri (Hosta Photo Library), Scrophularia takesimensis (NIBR), Arisaema takesimense (NIBR WM), 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), Aconitum austrokoreense (iNaturalist), Corydalis filistipes (NAVER), Saussurea namhaedoana (KJPT pdf), Mosla dadoensis (PhytoKeys), and Hepatica insularis (Asian Flora WM).

Trees known only from South Korea include the Korean Fir (iNaturalist) (IUCN), the Ullengdo Hemlock (conifers.org), Prunus takesimensis (IDS), Maackia floribunda (Morton Arboretum), Fagus multinervis (Morris Arboretum), Cotoneaster wilsonii (PDBK WM), Rhamnus taquetii (NIBR), Sorbus ulleungensis (Wikimedia Commons), Acer okamotoanum (IDS), and Fraxinus chiisanensis (POWO).

Endemic vascular plant genera include the White Forsythia Abeliophyllum (Asian Flora WM), Coreanomecon (iNaturalist), Sillaphyton (botsad.ru pdf) (Naturing), Wangsania (Korea Science pdf) (NAVER WM), 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.