The Tristram's Woodpecker, found only on the Korean Peninsula, is unlike migratory birds that freely cross borders. Endemic to the southern slopes of Mt. Baekdu, it was first reported to the global scientific community in the late 19th century.
Its numbers declined sharply after the Korean War, and by the early 1990s, it was thought to be extinct. Recognized for both its rarity and symbolic significance, the bird was designated a Natural Monument in both North and South Korea, even appearing on commemorative stamps. A handful of later sightings in places like the Gwangneung Forest proved fleeting, and the last confirmed observation came in 1993.
Yet, in a remarkable turn, recent inter-Korean exchanges revealed that more than twenty individuals still survive in the forests of Mt. Myeorak, Hwanghae Province, North Korea.
In response, the South Korean government initiated a breeding and restoration program to safeguard biodiversity and rehabilitate the bird’s habitat—though such physical efforts inevitably require time.
To address the urgent need for preservation, TRIC partnered with North Korean research institutions to digitally archive the Mt. Myeorak habitat and create ICT-based restoration content for the public. This pioneering inter-Korean ICT alternative restoration project was designed to protect both the species and its fragile ecosystem.
Supported by the National IT Industry Promotion Agency’s 2019 ICT Convergence Content Program, the project was presented at the Inter-Korean ICT Cooperation Pavilion during the 2019 International Cultural Heritage Industry Expo.
Recognized as the first inter-Korean initiative in the field of natural heritage, the project earned TRIC a commemorative plaque from the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.
