South Korea

Among the many freshwater fish species found nowhere else are the Somjiny Bitterling (NFRDI), the Korean Stumpy Bullhead (NFRDI), the King Spine Loach (Loaches Online), the Black Shiner (NFRDI), the Korean Spotted Hopper (FishBase), a loach Niwaella multifasciata (Loaches Online), the South Torrent Catfish (NFRDI), the Round-tailed Loach (Loaches Online), the Spotted Barbel Gudgeon (NFRDI), and Microphysogobio longidorsalis (Daemin Kim).

Marine fish species known only from South Korea include the Korean Skate Raja koreana (NFRDI), the Korean Rockfish Sebastes koreanus (NFRDI), a sculpin Porocottus leptosomus (oceanlife.or.kr), and a prickleback Zoarchias uchidai (NARIS).

The recently discovered Korean Crevice Salamander Karsenia koreana (Naturalis) is the only lungless salamander known from Asia. Other endemic amphibians include the Cheju Salamander Hynobius quelpartensis (Naturalis) and the Kori Salamander Hynobius yangi (Naturalis). 

The endemic Jeju Striped Field Mouse Apodemus chejuensis (Jeju) is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Striped Field Mouse Apodemus agrarius.

Insects restricted to South Korea include a katydid Sphagniana monticola (Orthopteroids of Korea), an ant Dacatria templaris (Antbase pdf file), a moth Pyrausta nigrimaculata (Wild Fauna and Flora of Korea), the longhorned beetles Demonax seoulensis (Beetles of Korea) and Ropica coreana (Beetles of Korea), and three scarab beetles: Koreoxyomus koreanus (Insect Collection), Psammodius coreanus (Insect Collection), and Aegialia koreana (Insect Collection). Endemic spiders include a funnel weaving spider Agelena koreana (Wild Fauna and Flora of Korea), a purseweb spider Atypus coreanus (National Science Museum), a daddy long-legs spider Pholcus kwanaksanensis (Wild Fauna and Flora of Korea), and a wolf spider Lycosa coreana (NARIS).

Vascular plants unique to South Korea include the Korean Fir Abies koreana (Wikipedia), the Korean Bellflower Campanula takesimana (Botanic Gardens Trust), Clematis chiisanensis (gwbaekdu.com), a spurge Euphorbia fauriei (NBIS), a bamboo Sasa quelpaertensis (www.nfc.co.kr), Cotoneaster wilsonii (flworld.com), Lycoris chejuensis (Ormstory), Hosta yingeri (Hosta Photo Library), a violet Viola seoulensis (wildflower.co.kr), Scrophularia takesimensis (NBIS), and Hepatica insularis (Ormstory). Endemic plant genera include Megaleranthis (NBIS), Coreanomecon (NBIS), and a fern Mankyua (Miami Univ.).

Important ecoregions include the Southern Korea Evergreen Forests (EoE) and the Central Korean Deciduous Forest (EoE). Information on endemic Korean animals and plants can be found at (Wild Fauna and Flora of Korea) . Additional Korean Peninsula endemic species that are shared with North Korea can be found here.