Don't touch —
most are protected
Most of what you'll see is protected.
Korea protects marine life through three overlapping systems run by different ministries — marine protected species (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries), endangered wildlife (Ministry of Environment) and natural monuments (Korea Heritage Service), plus the international CITES convention. Many of the corals, seahorses, sea turtles and marine mammals you encounter while diving are legally protected, and touching, collecting or removing them is prohibited.
Overlapping systems with different goals, laws and ministries
A single species is often listed under two or three systems at once.
Under the Marine Ecosystem Act; currently 91 species.
Under the Wildlife Act; 282 species (Class I 68 / Class II 214), reviewed every 5 years.
Designates species, habitats, colonies and protected areas (e.g., spotted seal No. 331).
Korea joined in July 1993 — seahorses (Hippocampus), sea turtles, cetaceans, black coral, etc.
Corals dominate the invertebrates
Under the Marine Ecosystem Act, the category was renamed 'marine protected species' on 2019-07-01. 91 species in total — 21 mammals, 36 invertebrates (many corals), 16 birds, 7 seaweeds/seagrasses, 6 fish (3 seahorses) and 5 reptiles (5 sea turtles).
- Bamsuji soft coral, black coral and Yuchak-namu stony coral (corals); 3 seahorses; 5 sea turtles; Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, spotted seal and finless porpoise (mammals)
Multiple listings are common
Under the Wildlife Act, 282 species in total — Class I 68 / Class II 214. A 2022-12-09 revision expanded the list from 267 to 282 (+15), with re-designation every 5 years. Marine species such as the spotted seal and finless porpoise are commonly listed both as marine protected species and as Class II endangered wildlife.
- Species counts (91 · 282) follow official tallies and change with each re-designation cycle.
- Verify individual species listings via the official MEIS, NIBR and Korea Heritage Service sources.