Endangered Languages and Biodiversity (TEFL 330)

Students: Diana Barseghyan

Anna Ghabuzyan

Abstract

Diversity is a condition of having or being composed of differing elements. South Korea is a

good example where diverse languages, religions, flora and fauna can be observed.

Key words: diversity, biodiversity, endangered language, endangered species, Abies koreana,

Korean Fir, Jeju Island, Jejueon.

The Language of Jeju Island

Jeju (제 주말) is a language spoken in South Korean Jeju Island and some native

Koreans in Osaka, Japan.

UNESCO recognized Jejueon as a critically endangered language in 2010. Unfortunately,

nowadays, fewer than 10,000 native speakers exist, and only people over 75 know it fluently.

The younger generation does not use it in their everyday speech and is not fluent either. (Ch.

Yang, S. Yang and O'Grady, 2019)

During the Japanese occupation, the inhabitants of Jeju Island left for Japan to work in

factories. After World War II, the Republic of Korea almost completely destroyed Jeju Island as

a result of the suppression by the Syngman Ri government. Between 10 and 30 percent of the

island's population was killed. An estimated 25,000 to 40,000 people have fled to Japan, settling

in the Osaka area, where their relatives and friends have lived for a long time. (Shields, 2019)

In Korea, the Jejueon language is not considered a separate, different language. The

Korean government allowed referring to Jejueon as a dialect, and never gave it the status of a

language. There are a lot of Korean dialects that seem to be different but, still, Korean people do
Endangered Languages and Biodiversity (TEFL 330)
Students: Diana Barseghyan
Anna Ghabuzyan

understand each other, Jejueon is different, though. A Korean speaker, who does not know

Jejuan, will never understand the speech. Of course, there are a lot of borrowed words from

Korean, anyway, the Jejueon vocabulary and grammar are uniquely different. Although there

were some textbooks written, Jejueon does not have enough sources for the learning-teaching

process. The main problem is that there is no Jejueon writing system, Hangeul (Korean alphabet)

is used instead. (Shields, 2019)

Today there are no monolingual Jejuan speakers. All the inhabitants of the Jeju Island

and Osaka area are, at least, bilingual. The youth knows basic Jejueon, but speaks and interacts

in English better. Many of Jeju islanders under 40 speak Korean with a few Jejuan words and

endings mixed in. The older generation, on the other hand, speaks Jejueon with a few Korean

words mixed. (Shields, 2019)

Modern Korean is used in the public sector on Jeju Island, but Jejueon is still spoken in

markets and at home. One of the main differences between Korean and Jeju languages is fewer

honorifics in Jejueon, it has only four levels of politeness. Jejueon also borrows some vocabulary

from Mongolian and Manchurian. (Shields, 2019)

And finally, the most crucial reason for the language death is the Korean standardized

test called CSAT. Even though Korean little by little is taking over Jejueon, and it is recognized

as highly endangered, still, some people on Jeju Island do not want their children to learn it.

They worry it might damage their children's performance in standardized testing.(Shields,

2019)      

To revive the language, scholars met on Jeju in 2019 for the first-ever conference on

Jejueon. Perhaps there is hope that this unique part of the broader Korean cultural scenery will be
Endangered Languages and Biodiversity (TEFL 330)
Students: Diana Barseghyan
Anna Ghabuzyan

preserved. (Shields, 2019)

Abies Koreana

Abies koreana or Korean Fir is a tree species endemic

to South Korea and has an occupation of about 12km2. This

type of tree is located on certain areas of the Republic of

Korea, especially in Mt. Gaya, Mt. Chiri and Mt. Togyu on the

mainland and Mt. Halla on the remote Jeju Island. The quality

of the habitats for this tree has declined due to various factors including climate change,

pathogen attack and the invasion of pines and bamboo on Mt. Halla. This acted as a basis for the

consideration of Korean Fir as an endangered species. International Union for Conservation of

Nature (IUCN) identified Korean fir as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List of

Threatened Species (Kim et al., 2011).

According to Wilson, the Korean fir is an evergreen coniferous type of tree. Its bark is

smooth, with resin blisters which throughout the time becomes from purplish to pale grey, with a

reddish-brown inner-bark. It grows at elevations of 1000-1900m above the sea level, in a

temperate rain forest with high rainfall and cool, humid summers, and heavy winter snowfall. It

usually grows in open forests where mostly conifers and other species of trees such as Betula

ermanii, Picea jezoensis, Cornus controversa and other various types of trees are growing. This

tree is mostly used for ornamental purposes due to its compact size and suitability (Wilson,

1920).
Endangered Languages and Biodiversity (TEFL 330)
Students: Diana Barseghyan
Anna Ghabuzyan

Nowadays, the population of Abies koreana is declining greatly and they are under the

threat of extinction. There are many threats for the extinction of this species.

The first regional decline of Abies koreana happened in the 1980s. And many

environmental factors caused by climate change and global warming were bases for the

continuation of Abies koreana’s decline. Many trees suffered from die-back and eventual death.

For example, on Mt. Togyu the rate of dead trees sampled was 18.18% while on Mt. Halla it

amounts to 6.44% (Kim et al., 2011).

Abies koreana is also in decline due to the invasion of bamboo Sasa quelpaertensis and

pine trees on Mt. Halla. Studies suggest that damage by the fungal pathogen Racodium

therryanum may be a significant inhibitory factor for the natural regeneration of Abies koreana

on Mt. Halla. Twenty years ago between 30-40% of the subpopulation in Deok-yu (10% of the

National Park) was destroyed due to the development of a Ski resort (Kim et al., 2011).

Several actions should be held to stop the decline of this species and maintain the genetic

diversity, it is vital to increase natural regeneration from seed and, for this, the factors that affect

seed germination and initial seedling survival should be examined. More research is needed into

the effects of global warming; temperature and water relation seem to be of great significance in

Korean fir dieback, but there is no enough knowledge and information about this relationship

and its direct impacts on this tree (Kim et al., 2011).

Endangered Languages and Biodiversity (TEFL 330)
Students: Diana Barseghyan
Anna Ghabuzyan

Conclusion

South Korea is one of the most unique countries in the world in its variety of nature,

customs, religions, and many other aspects. Despite the huge influence of other big countries,

South Korea was able to preserve its uniqueness. So, in order not to lose it, international

organizations need to help to restore and revive both endangered species and languages of the

area, the ones like Jejueon language and Abies Koreana. Their death would not be a loss for only

South Korea, it would be a loss for the whole planet with its consequences.
Endangered Languages and Biodiversity (TEFL 330)
Students: Diana Barseghyan
Anna Ghabuzyan

References

Ch. Yang, S. Yang, W. O’Grady (2019). Jejueo: The Language of Korea’s Jeju Island Wilson,

E. H. (1920). Four new conifers from Korea. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum

Kim, Y.-S., Chang, C.-S., Kim, C.-S. & Gardner, M. (2011). Abies koreana. The IUCN Red List

of Threatened Species

Steven L. Shields (2019). Studying Jeju Island's endangered language