Korean Mudflats [Photo Essay Contest]
The Korea JoongAng Daily hosted its first photo essay contest for elementary, middle and high school students on the theme: “Promote the beauty of Korea to foreign countries." The contest ran from October to November. Photos containing scenes of traditional culture, family love, places to see and tasty treats in Korea were submitted for the contest.
For people who participated but didn't win a prize:
Kim Moon Jeong from Hanyoung Foreign Language High School submitted the following photo essay as a high school-level entry.
One of the beauties in South korea are the mudflats. South Korea has a large scale of mudflats in the world. The mudflats may not look beautiful in our eyes since they just look like a muddy water. However, you can see the beauty when you get to know many positve effects of the mudflats.
To begin with, mudflats are the purifier of the Earth. Today, due to environmental pollution and climate crisis such as global warming, carbon neutrality has become a major challenge around the globe. Carbon capture technology is used to separate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In fact, mudflats can perform similar function to decrease carbon level. For instance, the mudflats absorb carbon while producing air through the photosynthesis of microalgae, which is called ‘blue carbon’. It can capture and store about 130 million tons of carbon.
In addition, mudflats are home to every rare plants and animals. Korea’s mudflats ranks first in the world in terms of the number of species per unit area. It is listed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in recognition of its high biodiversity value. Also, mudflats serve as a stopover for various animals. For example, migratory birds rest in the mudflats during their migration. They also hunt their prey or reproduce their offspring in daily occasion.
Finally, mudflats are the protector of both sea and land. Mudflats are located in the middle of the sea and land so that it can purify pollutants flowing form the land. Muflat is also known as ‘tidal flat’, as it keeps submerge and reveal in seawater. Therefore, tidal flats can slow down the flow of water, reudcing the influence of floods, typhoons and tsunamis, thereby reducing land damage.
In conclusion, I believe that Korean Mudflats are the beauty of my country. Mudflats provide a haven for various creatures, and protect people as well as envrionment by lowering pollutants. Mudflat enables civilization and nature to coexist and thrive continuously. I wish people would recognize the value of mudflats and preserve its natural envrionment in the future.
By Kim Moon Jeong, Hanyoung Foreign Language High School
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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