Republic of Korea advances global species recovery through Global Species Action Plan and its online knowledge platform
Leading conservation institutions in Korea convened with IUCN and WWF to explore how the GSAP SKILLS online platform can accelerate national and global species recovery efforts. With growing expertise and tangible success stories, Korea is positioning itself as a vital champion of the Global Species Action Plan.
The Republic of Korea has reaffirmed its growing leadership in global biodiversity conservation through a successful final project workshop introducing the Global Species Action Plan (GSAP) and its companion knowledge platform, GSAP SKILLS. Co-hosted by IUCN Korea, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, Republic of Korea and WWF, the workshop brought together national and international experts to explore how the platform can accelerate species recovery efforts in line with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has generously funded the development of the GSAP SKILLS.
Opening the session, Deputy Director Sangwan Han emphasized Korea’s commitment to driving global conservation action and contributing national expertise to shared international platforms. IUCN’s Asia Regional Director Dr. Dindo Campilan highlighted GSAP SKILLS as a global public good—a practical toolkit that brings together guidance, tools, case studies, and access to specialist networks to help countries turn GSAP recommendations into real-world conservation action.
WWF International underscored the urgency behind the initiative, citing a 73% decline in wildlife populations over the past half-century. Yet successful recoveries such as the Iberian lynx and mountain gorilla illustrate that conservation works when supported by coordinated action—precisely what GSAP and GSAP SKILLS aim to scale worldwide.
Korean institutions showcased notable national success stories, including the recovery of the endangered Long-tailed Goral (Naemorhedus caudatus), advances in Red List assessments, and new biodiversity monitoring results from the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) and the National Institute of Ecology (NIE). These achievements demonstrate Korea’s technical strength in species conservation and its readiness to contribute solutions, case studies, and expert knowledge to the GSAP SKILLS platform.
Participants agreed on a clear set of next steps, including expanding Korea’s contributions to PANORAMA Solution Platform, connecting national experts with IUCN Specialist Groups, and exploring future collaboration on species assessment, recovery planning and action.
IUCN also expressed its commitment for sustaining and expanding GSAP SKILLS through 2030 as a global hub for practical conservation knowledge.
With its growing portfolio of national success stories, scientific expertise, and commitment to international collaboration, the Republic of Korea is emerging as a key champion of global species conservation. The workshop marks a significant step in strengthening the country’s role in driving collective action toward a future where species and people thrive together.