A dinosaur bone fossil bearing the name "Korea," the first new dinosaur species discovered in the country, is set to become a natural monument. The Korea Heritage Service announced Monday that it plans to designate the "Boseong Ornithopod Dinosaur (Koreanosaurus boseongensis) Skeletal Fossil" as a natural monument.
The dinosaur fossil, found in Boseong, South Jeolla Province, is regarded as a fossil that marked a major milestone in the history of dinosaur research in Korea. The fossil was discovered during a survey of the dinosaur egg fossil site (the natural monument "Boseong Bibong-ri Dinosaur Egg Fossil Site") along the coast of Seonso village in Bibong-ri, Boseong, between 2000 and 2004. At the time, the Korea Dinosaur Research Center at Chonnam National University was conducting the survey to find intact dinosaur bones or traces of baby dinosaurs, and in 2003 it identified a left shoulder blade (scapula), backbone, and ribs.
The Boseong dinosaur skeletal fossil also holds great value as the first trace of an ornithopod dinosaur discovered on the Korean Peninsula. Ornithopods are dinosaurs with bird-like feet, characterized by three toes and blunt, broad footprints. The Korea Heritage Service explained that it is "a dinosaur of the subfamily Orodrominae, very rarely found in Asia, and serves as important evidence of dinosaur migration between North America and Asia during the Cretaceous period."
In recognition of this value, the scientific name "Koreanosaurus boseongensis" was officially recorded in an international academic journal in 2010. Recognized as the first new dinosaur species fossil discovered in the country, it was given the name "Korea."
In addition, following "Koreanosaurus boseongensis," "Koreaceratops hwaseongensis," discovered in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was reported to academia in 2011. (It was discovered in 2008 and designated a natural monument in 2022.) Also, "Dooliesaurus heominai" was recognized as the third native dinosaur in February this year.
In this regard, "dinosaur doctor" Heo Min, the Korea Heritage Service Administrator, is known to have led the excavation, survey, and research of "Koreanosaurus boseongensis." Heo served as director of the Korea Dinosaur Research Center at Chonnam National University, where he excavated numerous dinosaur footprint and skeletal fossils, and was named an honorary member of the Geological Society of London in recognition of his research achievements. "Dooliesaurus heominai" also bears Heo's touch, as it was named "heominai" after him.
The Korea Heritage Service also gave advance notice that day of plans to designate two other items as natural monuments: the "Yeosu Pig-Nosed Turtle (Byeoljubukelis yeosuensis) Skeletal Fossil" and the "Tongyeong Suudo Tafoni."
The "Yeosu Pig-Nosed Turtle (Byeoljubukelis yeosuensis) Skeletal Fossil" is a turtle fossil discovered on Soreukdo Island in Yeosu in 2006, with its carapace and plastron remaining. The Korea Heritage Service explained that "among turtle fossils discovered in the country, it is the only one with intact appendicular skeletal elements such as the spine, forelimb bones, and hindlimb bones, giving it high rarity."
The "Tongyeong Suudo Tafoni" spans the southern coastal cliffs of Suudo Island in Saryang-myeon, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, and the southern part of the adjacent island Ttandokseom. Tafoni refers to a landform in which cavities are hollowed out on the surface of rocks through physical and chemical weathering, mainly in dry or marine environments.
An official from the Korea Heritage Service noted its significance, saying it is "a geological heritage where the formation and growth process of tafoni can be continuously observed at a single location, and its original form remains well preserved to this day."
The Korea Heritage Service plans to review opinions from various sectors during the 30-day advance notice period and then confirm the natural monument designations following deliberation by the Cultural Heritage Committee.
