Among the 125 species of mammals inhabiting the land and coastal waters of South Korea (83 species of land mammals and 42 species of marine mammals), 20 species are designated as endangered (12 under Class I and eight under Class II) by the Ministry of Environment. Class I species, including the Asiatic Black Bear, Hodgson's Bat, Siberian Musk Deer, Korean Goral, and European Otter, and Class II species, including the Yellow-throated Marten, Manchurian Weasel, Leopard Cat, Ussuri Tube-nosed Bat, Brown Long-eared Bat, and Siberian Flying Squirrel, are evenly distributed from the high elevations to the lowlands and nearby shorelines of South Korea.

 

 The Asiatic Black Bear mostly inhabits the Jirisan area; the Siberian Musk Deer inhabits the regions of Gangwon-do; and the Yellow-throated Marten, Leopard Cat, Siberian Flying Squirrel, Manchurian Weasel, and European Otter are evenly distributed nationwide. The Hodgson's Bat mostly inhabits the regions of Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do; the Brown Long-eared Bat inhabits the Gangwon-do region and northern woodlands; and the Ussuri Tube-nosed Bat mostly inhabits the regions of Gangwon-do, Chungcheong-do, Gyeonggi-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do. Of 42 species of marine mammals inhabiting the South Korean waters, 16 species, including the Humpback Whale and California Sea Lion, have been designated as marine organisms under protection by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.