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55-649: Taean Haean National Park is located within Taean County, and is known for its clear seas, unpolluted soils, coastal flora, tidal flats, coasts, and white sand. It includes thirty different beaches; one of these, Mallipo Beach, is considered one of the three most beautiful in Korea and is over three kilometers long. This beach is also the site of the 2007 Korea oil spill . The Korean government designated Taean Haean National Park in 1978. It consists of 326.57 km (126.09 sq mi) of land. There are about 130 islands in

110-462: A crane barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries being towed by a tug collided with the anchored Hong Kong registered crude carrier Hebei Spirit ( Chinese : 河北精神號 ), carrying 260,000 tonnes (290,000 short tons ) of crude oil. The incident occurred near the port of Daesan on the Yellow Sea coast of Taean County. The barge was floating free after the cable linking it to the tug snapped in

165-787: A corner of Northeast Asia, border the "island nation" from the east, south, and west. Korea has named these the East Sea, South Sea, and West Sea (officially known as the Yellow Sea), respectively. Major islands of the sea include Anmado , Baengnyeongdo , Daebudo , Deokjeokdo , Gageodo , Ganghwado , Hauido , Heuksando , Hongdo , Jejudo , Jindo , Muuido , Sido , Silmido , Sindo , Wando , Yeongjongdo and Yeonpyeongdo (all in South Korea). The area has cold, dry winters with strong northernly monsoons blowing from late November to March. Average January temperatures are −10 °C (14 °F) in

220-462: A day. Their amplitude varies between about 0.9 and 3 meters (3.0 and 9.8 ft) at the coast of China. Tides are higher at the Korean Peninsula, typically ranging between 4 and 8 meters (13 and 26 ft) and reaching the maximum in spring. The tidal system rotates in a counterclockwise direction. The speed of the tidal current is generally less than 1.6 km/h (0.99 mph) in the middle of

275-512: A pipeline exploded at the north-east port of Dalian , causing a wide-scale fire and spreading about 1,500 tonnes of oil over the sea area of 430 km (170 sq mi). The port had been closed and fishing suspended until the end of August. Eight hundred fishing boats and 40 specialized vessels were mobilized to relieve the environmental damage. The Yellow Sea is considered among the most degraded marine areas on earth. Loss of natural coastal habitats due to land reclamation has resulted in

330-738: A team of experts in addition to the teams from the Joint UNEP/OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ) Environment Unit and the European Commission Monitoring Information Center, U.S. Coast Guard and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (AUB). It has been reported that the regional office of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries had twice tried to warn the barge captain that

385-466: A volume of about 17,000 km (4,100 cu mi). Its depth is only 44 m (144 ft) on average, with a maximum of 152 m (499 ft). The sea is a flooded section of continental shelf that formed after the last glacial period (some 10,000 years ago) as sea levels rose 120 m (390 ft) to their current levels. The depth gradually increases from north to south. The sea bottom and shores are dominated by sand and silt brought by

440-641: A warm cyclone current, forming part of the Kuroshio Current , which diverges near the western part of Japan and flows northward into the Yellow Sea at a speed of less than 0.8 km/h (0.50 mph). Southward currents prevail near the sea coast, especially in the winter monsoon period. The water temperature is close to freezing in the northern part in winter, so drift ice patches and continuous ice fields form and hinder navigation between November and March. The water temperature and salinity are homogeneous across

495-544: A year, at the beginning of May and in the middle of June. It had long been celebrated in a local festival called "Jindo Sea Parting Festival", but was largely unknown to the outside world until 1975, when the French ambassador Pierre Randi described the phenomenon in a French newspaper. The sea is rich in seaweed (predominantly kelp , Laminaria japonica ), cephalopods , crustaceans , shellfish , clams , and especially in blue-green algae which bloom in summer and contribute to

550-565: Is a mixture of hand fishing, boat work, and aquaculture, with the main species being blue crabs in spring, octopus and squid in summer, squid from late summer to autumn, giant clams in autumn, and clams in winter. For secondary industries, there is an agricultural industrial complex in Saksun-ri, Taean-eup, and an urban high-tech industrial complex in Jangsan-ri. At one point, Mgame tried to move its headquarters from Guro, Seoul to Taean-eup, but it

605-464: Is also designated a National Treasure of South Korea . The Samsung-1 Hebei Spirit oil spill occurred on December 7, 2007, when a Hong Kong oil tanker, Hebei Spirit, and Samsung C&T's 12th tank collided with a shipyard near the port of Taean, South Chungcheong Province. It is commonly referred to as the Taean oil spill. The Korean boy band Big Bang based their song, "붉은노을 ("Sunset Glow"), in honor of

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660-412: Is relatively low, at 30 ‰ in the north to 33–34‰ in the south, dropping to 26‰ or lower near the river deltas. In the southwest monsoon season (June to August) the increased rainfall and runoff further reduce the salinity of the upper sea layer. Water transparency increases from about 10 meters (33 ft) in the north up to 45 meters (148 ft) in the south. Tides are semidiurnal, i.e. rise twice

715-743: Is separated from the Sea of Japan by the boundary from the southern end of Haenam Peninsula in Jeollanamdo to Jeju Island and divided into the East China Sea by the boundary from the west end of Jeju Island to the Yangtze River estuary. The Yellow Sea, excluding the Bohai, extends by about 960 km (600 mi) from north to south and about 700 km (430 mi) from east to west; it has an area of approximately 380,000 km (150,000 sq mi) and

770-650: The East China Sea . It is one of four seas named after color terms (the others being the Black Sea , the Red Sea and the White Sea ), and its name is descriptive of the golden-yellow color of the silt -ridden water discharged from major rivers. The innermost bay of northwestern Yellow Sea is called the Bohai Sea (previously Gulf of Zhili / Beizhili ), into which flow some of the most important rivers of northern China , such as

825-829: The Yellow River (through Shandong province and its capital Jinan ), the Hai River (through Beijing and Tianjin ) and the Liao River (through Liaoning province). The northeastern extension of the Yellow Sea is called the Korea Bay , into which flow the Yalu River , the Chongchon River and the Taedong River . The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Yellow Sea ("Hwang Hai") as follows: The Yellow Sea

880-501: The Chinese, Korean and Japanese ships for centuries. Especially rich in fish are the bottom layers. About 200 fish species are exploited commercially, especially sea bream , croakers , lizard fishes , prawns , cutlassfish , horse mackerel , squid, eel , filefish , Pacific herring , chub mackerel , flounder and jellyfish. The intensity of fishing has been gradually increasing for China and Korea and decreasing for Japan. For example,

935-687: The Hebei Spirit has been charged with violating marine law. On June 24, the trial concluded. The two tug captains were found guilty, while the personnel on the barge and on Hebei Spirit were exonerated. Samsung Heavy Industries was also fined. However, the Hebei Spirit's two most senior officers, Master Jasprit Chawla and chief officer Syam Chetan, continued to be detained in South Korea. They were found guilty of criminal negligence and sentenced to serve time in jail for 18 months (Master Jasprit Chawla) and 8 months (C.O. Syam Chetan). South Korea's detention of

990-731: The Hong Kong Shipowners' Association. It was finally in June 2009 that Captain Jasprit Chawla and chief officer Syam Chetan were released by the Seoul Supreme Court as firstly it was the barge that was at fault and secondly, the case did not fall under the purview of a criminal act but a civil one for which the shipping company could be fined. According to Lloyd's List and other media reports, South Korean maritime officials, prosecutors and Samsung lawyers have been accused of colluding in

1045-639: The Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan under the Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) was activated following a request of the South Korean government. Among the emergency supplies available in the other three NOWPAP members (China, Japan and Russia), South Korean government, taking into account logistical issues, accepted kind offers of 50 and 10 tonnes of sorbents from China and Japan respectively. Japan has also dispatched

1100-477: The Soviet Union with support from Japan have been major drivers of population decline. Species that reside in the area today include spotted seals , and cetaceans such as minke whales , killer whales , false killer whales , and finless porpoises , but nonetheless all the remnants of species listed could be in very small numbers. Historically, large whales were very abundant either for summering and wintering in

1155-530: The Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. Declines of biodiversity, fisheries and ecosystem services in the Yellow Sea are widespread. The tidal flats of the Yellow Sea are considered endangered. On 1 November 2018, officials from South Korea's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that "peace zones" had been established by the North and South Korean militaries in the Yellow Sea area that touches

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1210-524: The Yellow Sea are Incheon , Gunsan and Mokpo , and that for North Korea is Nampho , the outport of Pyongyang . The Bohai Train Ferry provides a shortcut between the Liaodong Peninsula and Shandong . A major naval accident occurred on 24 November 1999 at Yantai , Shandong , China when the 9,000-ton Chinese ferry Dashun caught fire and capsized in rough seas. About 300 people were killed, making it

1265-455: The Yellow Sea. The southern part of the Yellow Sea, including the entire west coast of Korea , contains a 10 km-wide (6.2 mi) belt of intertidal mudflats , which has the total area of 2,850 km (1,100 sq mi) and is maintained by 4–10 m (13–33 ft). Those flats consist of highly productive sediments with a rich benthic fauna and are of great importance for migratory waders and shorebirds. Surveys show that

1320-635: The Yellow and Bohai Seas. For example, a unique population of resident fin whales and gray whales were historically presented, or possibly hosted some North Pacific right whales and Humpback whales (3 whales including a cow calf pair was observed at Changhai County in 2015 ) year-round other than migrating individuals, and many other migratory species such as Baird's beaked whales . Even blue whales , Japanese sea lions , dugongs (in southern regions only), and leatherback turtles used to breed or migrate into Yellow and Bohai seas. Spotted seals are

1375-467: The accident occurred on December 7, according to the South Chungcheong provincial government. The Taean office for emergency operations reported that the volunteers included 580,000 ordinary civilians, 186,700 local residents, 127,000 soldiers and policemen, and 57,143 public officials. According to the emergency office, an average of 20,000 people volunteered during weekdays and 3,000 volunteered over

1430-495: The area is the single most important site for migratory birds on northward migration in the entire East Asian – Australasian Flyway , with more than 35 species occurring in internationally significant numbers. Two million birds, at minimum, pass through at the time, and about half that number use it on southward migration. About 300,000 migrating birds were transiting annually only through the Saemangeum tidal flat area. This estuary

1485-533: The barge was too close to the tanker two hours before the incident but was unable to do so. The barge captain is also under investigation for moving through the area in rough weather. The tanker is reported to have been at anchor when it was hit by the barge, which had broken free from its towing lines. The South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and police admitted to having not provided sufficient amount of oil absorbent material to fishermen and residents as well as not having paid enough attention to

1540-435: The caveman. The title track from their 2nd full-length Korean album, Sunset Glow, a remake of Lee Moon Sae's Red Sunset. Their Music Video for Sunset Glow is spreading the message to visit Tae-an beaches again after the 2007 Korea oil spill where it had previously struck the once populated tourist attraction a year ago, leaving it deserted and neglected. Korea Express Air has its headquarters in Taean. The fishing industry

1595-498: The classification of this ecosystem as endangered . In addition to land reclamation , the Yellow Sea ecosystem is facing several other serious environmental problems. Pollution is widespread and deterioration of pelagic and benthic habitat quality has occurred, and harmful algal blooms frequently occur. Invasion of introduced species are having a detrimental effect on the Yellow Sea environment. There are 25 intentionally introduced species and 9 unintentionally introduced species in

1650-503: The cleanup will take at least two months. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers and celebrities including South Korean actress Park Jin-hee helped to clean up the beaches in the campaign. As of January 4, 2008, the Navy had deployed 229 vessels and some 22,000 military personnel to help clean up the spill, in addition to civilian aid. On January 10, 2008, the number of volunteers topped the 1-million mark to reach 1,037,000 people, 33 days after

1705-579: The crew has generated much controversy and protests from around the world. There have been strong protests from the shipping world and demands for the crews release, including from organizations like the International Transport Workers' Federation, International Group of P&I Clubs, BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping / International Shipping Federation, International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO) and

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1760-442: The damages exceed the shipowners limitation of liability set under an international convention. On December 20, the South Korean coast guard completed an initial investigation. According to their conclusions, blame is shared between the tug captains, the barge captain, and the captain of the Hebei Spirit. The tug captains and the barge captain are charged with negligence and violating the marine pollution prevention law. The captain of

1815-475: The depth. The southern waters are warmer at 6–8 °C (43–46 °F). In spring and summer, the upper layer is warmed up by the sun and diluted by the fresh water from rivers, while the deeper water remains cold and saline. This deep water stagnates and slowly moves south. Commercial bottom-dwelling fishes are found around this mass of water, especially at its southern part. Summer temperatures range between 22 and 28 °C (72 and 82 °F). The average salinity

1870-401: The destruction of more than 60% of tidal wetlands around the Yellow Sea coastline in approximately 50 years. Rapid coastal development for agriculture , aquaculture and industrial development are considered the primary drivers of coastal destruction in the region. This degree of loss of area, widespread pollution, algal blooms and declines of invertebrate and vertebrate fauna have resulted in

1925-572: The master and chief officer are found guilty on appeal," Giorgi said. "I am worried that the captain and chief officer may not get a fair trial this time around." Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea , also known as the North Sea , is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula , and can be considered the northwestern part of

1980-428: The north and 3 °C (37 °F) in the south. Summers are wet and warm with frequent typhoons between June and October. Air temperatures range between 10 and 28 °C (50 and 82 °F). The average annual precipitation increases from about 500 mm (20 in) in the north to 1,000 mm (39 in) in the south. Fog is frequent along the coasts, especially in the upwelling cold-water areas. The sea has

2035-411: The only resident species of seal in the Yellow Sea. A sanctuary for these seals is situated at Baengnyeongdo , which is also known for its finless porpoises . Great white sharks have also been known to prey on seals in the area. The coasts of the Yellow Sea are very densely populated, at approximately 250 inhabitants per square kilometer (650/sq mi). The sea waters had been used for fishing by

2090-562: The park, and 250 species of flora thrive there. Chollipo Arboretum in Sowon-myeon, founded in 1979 by naturalized US-expatriate Min Byung Gal ( Carl Ferris Miller ), is a 64ha (158 acre) private botanical garden housing more than 6900 different species of plants collected from more than 60 countries. The Sinduri beach in Taean is home to the Duung wetland , a sand dune wetland and protected area that

2145-414: The production volumes for China rose from 619,000 tonnes in 1985 to 1,984,400 tonnes in 1996. All species are overfished, however, and while the total catchments are rising, the fish population is continuously declining for most species. Navigation is another traditional activity in the Yellow Sea. The main Chinese ports are Dalian , Tianjin , Qingdao and Qinhuangdao . The major South Korean ports on

2200-472: The retrial of the two senior officers. Roberto Giorgi, president of management firm V.Ships, visited South Korea to meet with the detained Hebei Spirit crew. He told the press that he is concerned at recent developments "which point to collusion" between the South Korean authorities, prosecutors and Samsung Heavy Industries, operators of a drifting barge that collided with the oil tanker and that efforts of Samsung and prosecutors "look to be designed to ensure that

2255-523: The rivers through the Bohai Sea ( Liao River , Yellow River , Hai He ) and the Korea Bay ( Yalu River ). These deposits, together with sand storms are responsible for the yellowish colour of the water referenced in the sea's name. The sea annually receives so much sand and silt from rivers such as the Yellow River , that it actually turns into a golden-yellow colour. The seas surrounding Korea, which occupy

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2310-575: The rough seas. Although no casualties were reported, the collision punctured three of the five tanks aboard the Hebei Spirit and resulted in the leaking of some 10,800 tonnes (11,900 short tons) of oil. The remaining oil from the damaged tanks was pumped into the undamaged tanks and the holes were sealed. The spill occurred near Mallipo Beach (in Taean County), considered one of South Korea's most beautiful and popular beaches. The region affected by

2365-514: The sea, but may increase to more than 5.6 km/h (3.5 mph) near the coasts. The fastest tides reaching 20 km/h (12 mph) occur in the Myeongnyang Strait between Jindo Island and the Korean Peninsula. The tide-related sea level variations result in a land pass 2.9 km (1.8 mi) long and 10–40 meters (33–131 ft) wide opening for approximately an hour between Jindo and Modo islands. The event occurs about twice

2420-413: The spill is home to one of Asia's largest wetland areas, used by migratory birds, and also contains a national maritime park and 445 sea farms. It was initially believed the oil spill would not spread due to the cold winter temperatures. However, unseasonably warm weather, combined with strong waves and unexpected wind directions, caused the spill to expand beyond initial expectations. On December 9 it

2475-414: The spill. Although most migratory birds had not yet arrived in the region, seagulls , mallard ducks and other sea life were found tarred by the oil. On December 14, the oil balls had arrived at Anmyeon-do (安眠島; Anmyeon Island), resulting in at least five beaches being contaminated with large tar lumps. It was believed that the oil belt was not going to go down to Anmyeon-do, but bad, windy weather

2530-416: The water color (see image above). For example, the seaweed production in the area was as high as 1.5 million tonnes in 1979 for China alone. The abundance of all these plant and animal species increases toward the south and indicates a high sea productivity, accounting for the diversity of fish species and high fish yield from the sea. Several species of goby new to science have been discovered recently in

2585-468: The weekends. By January 2008, approximately 4,153 tons of crude oil spilled had been collected by utilizing some 268,710 kilograms of oil absorbents and other cleanup devices. Financial contributions combined to 27.76 billion South Korean won (about 20 million euro) in donations, as well as food and clothing. The Taean emergency center said more than seven billion won in donations have come from about 4,200 organizations and individuals. Internationally,

2640-421: The wide sea and sand beaches and millions of tulips. There are various events, including traditional folk experience, magic experience, soap bubble drop experience, and aroma experience. Taean is twinned with: 36°45′23″N 126°17′52″E  /  36.7563888989°N 126.297777788°E  / 36.7563888989; 126.297777788 2007 Korea oil spill The MT Hebei Spirit oil spill

2695-409: The wind direction. According to a recent report, compensation will be mostly paid by China Shipowners Mutual Assurance Association (China P&I) and Skuld P&I , which are insurers for the Hebei Spirit , and some paid by Samsung Fire and Lloyd P&I. International Oil Pollution Funds (IOPC) will be responsible to pay if China P&I and Skuld P&I become unable to pay for the cost or if

2750-557: The worst maritime incident in China. Oil exploration has been successful in the Chinese and North Korean portions of the sea, with the proven and estimated reserves of about 9 and 20 billion tonnes, respectively. However, the study and exploration of the sea is somewhat hindered by insufficient sharing of information between the involved countries. China initiated collaborations with foreign oil companies in 1979, but this initiative declined later. A major oil spill occurred on 16 July 2010 when

2805-529: Was a major oil spill in South Korea that began on the morning of December 7, 2007, local time, with ongoing environmental and economic effects. Government officials called it South Korea's worst oil spill ever, surpassing a spill that took place in 1995. This oil spill was about one-third of the size of the Exxon Valdez oil spill . At about 7:30 local time on December 7, 2007 (2230 UTC on December 6, 2007),

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2860-559: Was cancelled due to the poor management of Mgame, and only the customer support department was moved. The site is now home to Mplay Park. The test site for a new Hyunmoo -type ballistic missile was publicly reported as being near Taean. Taean holds the World Tulip Festival for a month from mid-April. The Taean World Tulip Festival is one of the world's top five tulip festivals following the WTS (World Tulip Summit) in 2015. Visitors can see

2915-508: Was however dammed by South Korea in 1991–2006 that resulted in drying off the land. Land reclamation also took 65% of the intertidal area (of China, North Korea and South Korea) between the 1950s and 2002, and as of 2005 there were plans to reclaim a further 45%. Populations of oceanic megafauna , such as marine mammals , sea turtles , and larger fish, have decreased in modern times, not only due to pollution but also due to hunting. Japanese industrial whaling and illegal mass operations by

2970-406: Was reported that the oil slick was already 33 km (21 mi) long and 10 m (33 ft) wide and 10 cm (4 in) thick in some areas. It was also reported that at least 30 beaches have been affected and over half of the region's sea farms are believed to have lost their stocks due to the spill. Sinduri Dune , a South Korean natural treasure , is reported to have been saturated by

3025-510: Was responsible for it. On December 15, the tar lumps had also floated to Boryeong (mostly around Wonsan Island and Sapsi Island of Boryeong) and to Gunsan in North Jeolla province as well. The South Korean government declared a state of disaster in the region. The cost of cleanup has been estimated at 300 billion South Korean won (US$ 330 million). The cleanup involved 13 helicopters, 17 airplanes and 327 vessels. It has also been estimated

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