[Anchor Lead]Efforts have begun to designate tidal flats in Korea's southwestern coast as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site by 2019. Here’s a look at the tidal flats, known for their biodiversity and geological value.[Pkg]The Dadohae Sea is known for its exquisite scenery as the area was formed over an extensive period of erosion. Thick layers of mudflats surround some 400 islands, big and small, situated on the sea.[Soundbite] Prof. Woo Gyeong-sik(Kangwon Nat'l University) : "As the area is in the shallow Yellow Sea and where the difference between the low and high tides is large, over 30 meters of very thick sedimentary layers are piling up on the tidal flats."The tidal flats established over the span of thousands of years are home to around 14-hundred different organisms. These mudflats in Korea's southwestern coast have been unusually formed in a temperate climate, not tropical or subtropical conditions, and because of this draws keen global attention. The size of the tidelands combined is 750 square kilometers, 24 percent larger than Seoul City. Five cities and counties in Chuncheong-do and Jeolla-do provinces have joined hands to have the tidal flats listed as UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites.[Soundbite] Kim Il-jae(Steering Committee Seeking UNESCO Designation for Southwest Coast Tidal Flats) : "Even later, if we meet the global requirements, the candidate site can be further expanded after sufficient discussion."There is only one site in Korea that has gained natural heritage status which is the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Attention is drawn to whether the coastal tideland can obtain Korea's second natural heritage status.