Sampyo Cement is restoring a former limestone mine site in Samcheok with native plant species, creating an ecosystem where Siberian flying squirrels can live.
The company said Thursday that its subsidiary Sampyo Resources Development is carrying out terrain and vegetation restoration work at the Samcheok limestone mine.
Sampyo Resources Development received approval for a mine reclamation design in 2023 and has since been developing a 24,955-square-meter site in the Gyogok-ri area of Geundeok-myeon as a pilot ecological restoration zone. Foundation work and drainage construction were completed last year. The company plans to finish planting this year and complete the full restoration before year's end.
To help vegetation take root in the barren mine terrain, the company will focus on planting and seeding native species from the surrounding area — 10 tree species suited to the mine environment, totaling 20,000 seedlings.
After planting is complete, the company will conduct regular monitoring to assess how well the vegetation has established, its growth condition and the overall progress of restoration. Alongside the vegetation work, the company is also pursuing habitat conservation for the Siberian flying squirrel, a legally protected species listed as Class II endangered wildlife. It has been working to restore potential flying squirrel habitat since 2021.
"We have been sequentially restoring zones where mining has ended and managing the habitat conditions for wildlife," a company official said. "We will wrap up the planting work this year and ensure the vegetation is well established after restoration."
freiheit@heraldcorp.com
