Success is more than buildings and GDP - it’s also the buzzing of insects.
Michael O’Hara
Co-Founder
Techies Go Green
On occasions, I cash in my “carbon savings account” gathered though a routine of choosing walking and public transport over the convenience of driving, and making many small daily sustainability choices that soon add up and give me an opportunity to follow my twin passions - mountain trekking, and experiencing the people, culture and landscapes in other parts of the world.
I am just back from a trekking holiday in South Korea, and I’m still digesting what I saw, both on the trails and in wider society. This is a country that blends astonishing economic achievement with stark ecological questions and, in many ways, the two are deeply intertwined. Let me begin by saying that these are my observations and, given our own poor record in ecological conservation, are not meant to single out South Korea for its choices and path of development. Instead, I hope to highlight the ecological price of progress and how they are now tackling these challenges.
A country of contrasts
South Korea is almost one and a half times the size of the island of Ireland and around 70% of that is mountainous. Yet it has almost ten times the population. That alone tells a story of scale, density and rapid development. Its network of very well maintained mountain trails makes it a terrific place for trekking and a country that I would recommend to any trekker.
What struck me most was the modernity of the country. High-rise apartment blocks are the dominant housing type with many rising to 100 stories. The infrastructure is top class with a broad, well maintained, road network and pristine public spaces. In the cities you feel safe going out at night. There were no derelict houses, no visible homelessness (at least nothing obvious in the parts I visited). The people were friendly, welcoming, and you felt a sense of national confidence born of the country’s amazing achievements.
From a business and economy vantage point, South Korea is a formidable success story. Global leaders in technology, motor vehicles, and ship-building. The “Miracle on the Han River” type trajectory is real.
But what has this success cost?
While the visits to the mountains and forests were beautiful, there was a quietness in nature that my trekking group noticed. Fewer birds, fewer insects, fewer signs of vibrant wildlife than you might expect in comparable terrain elsewhere. It got me thinking, has this model of rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and infrastructure expansion come at a cost to biodiversity and ecosystems in South Korea?
My subsequent research suggests yes. Studies show that large-scale land-use change, extensive infrastructure (transport corridors, reclamation, industrial zones) have resulted in environmental degradation across the peninsula. For example, one study using an Environmental Degradation Index found that the Korean Peninsula showed increasing degradation between 2000-2022 - IIASA+4ScienceDirect+4PMC+4
Adding to that, the country’s iconic tidal flats have been heavily reclaimed. For instance, the Saemangeum estuary was dammed and converted into farmland/industrial land, with massive ecosystem consequences - (National Geographic+1). Infrastructure build-out (roads, dams, reclamation) has had documented impacts on habitat loss, fragmentation, the decline of species counts - MDPI+1
At the same time, even though air quality has improved (for example, PM2.5 emissions in South Korea fell ~19 % between 2005 and 2020) - UNEP - UN Environment Programme , the question remains whether the ecological “quietness” I witnessed reflects deeper depletion of biodiversity rather than simply cleaner air.
What I observed on foot
Walking those mountain trails, keeping an eye out for birds, insects, and signs of nature’s abundance, you sense a gap. Not an absence of nature — far from it — but a nature that perhaps is more managed, more filtered, more human-shaped than you might hope in a “wild” environment. The trails are superbly maintained; frankly, they could have been built in Europe. But the wilderness feel was slightly muted.
And that juxtaposition is what I find fascinating: a country where economic infrastructure, built-form, human habitation and development have all surged ahead — but the ecosystems that cushion and underpin life, nature’s “free services”, seem to be under pressure.
What can we learn from South Korea?
Both South Korea and Ireland face significant nature and habitat loss, driven by similar pressures like infrastructure, pollution, and invasive species, but with differing scale and specific concerns - Ireland's agricultural dominance has resulted in the conversion of habitats and one of the lowest levels of terrestrial protected areas in the EU. Nonetheless there are many lessons that we can learn from South Korea.
Rapid economic development can deliver social uplift, modern infrastructure, global competitiveness. That story is real and inspiring.
But ecosystems don’t respond in the same timeframe. Nature often lags behind in restoration, and in many cases the “natural capital” has been eroded or altered in ways that may remain hidden to a casual visitor.
For nations (or regions) seeking to “have it all”, high economic growth, modern cities, global industry and untouched nature, the balance is demanding, perhaps more demanding than often appreciated.
Even as the country invests in green growth, renewables, urban green space, the legacy of decades of industrialisation may mean that biodiversity loss, forest fragmentation, habitat conversion remain ongoing challenges.
Hope and the way forward
It’s not all negative. South Korea has set out a strong national biodiversity strategy (its Fifth National Biodiversity Strategy for 2024-2028) that aims to integrate nature into spatial planning, strengthen in-situ conservation, tackle invasive species, and embed biodiversity into corporate and governmental decision-making. Convention on Biological Diversity
There’s a sense that the country has moved from “grow first, clean up later” towards “grow wisely and sustainably”. For trekkers, urban visitors, business travellers alike, the message is: you can enjoy the outcomes of development (modern cities, safe streets, efficient infrastructure) while still being conscious of what’s been lost and what needs protection going forward.
My final thoughts
My two-week trek in South Korea left me with admiration, inspiration, and questions. Admiration for what the country has achieved. Inspiration from its beautiful mountains, cities and welcoming people. And questions about how development and nature can remain partners rather than adversaries.
If you’re heading to South Korea for trekking, go for it. You’ll be rewarded with wonderful trails and superb infrastructure. But as you walk, listen for the birds, look for the insects, sense the wilderness. And you might ask - what has been gained? And what might we still reclaim?
Because success is more than buildings and GDP: it’s also the buzzing of insects, bird song overhead, and the persistence of habitats for all living things. South Korea shows us that even in the most advanced economies, nature still needs its space, its voice and its protection.
