The Southern Bottlenose Dolphins of Jeju will now possess basic legal rights similar to those of a person.(Image courtesy of Yonhap)
JEJU, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) – The Southern Bottlenose Dolphins of Jeju, beloved by Woo Young-woo, the heroine of the popular Korean drama ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo,’ will now possess basic legal rights similar to those of a person.
On Monday, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government announced its intention to amend the ‘Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Installation and International Free City Creation Special Act’ to introduce the ‘Eco Legal Person’ system.
The Eco Legal Person system extends legal rights to natural environments with high ecological value and non-human entities, such as animals and plants. This system is comparable to granting juristic personality to businesses.
Similar to businesses endowed with juristic personality, animals and plants, once granted legal personality, can file suits against countries or individuals through guardians or agents.
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government plans to choose between two options: directly extending juristic rights to Southern Bottlenose Dolphins or adopting a special exemption for the creation of the Eco Legal Person. The chosen option will be reflected in the ‘Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Installation and International Free City Creation Special Act.’
‘Bibongi’, a Southern Bottlenose Dolphin, is released on August 4, 2022 after 17 years of captivity. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The ‘Eco Legal Person’ creation option involves designating specific species or core ecosystems and recognizing them as Eco Legal Persons, with the governor obtaining approval from the provincial assembly.
The Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government aims to solidify the ‘Eco Legal Person’ system through public hearings. Subsequently, it plans to present the revised legislation at the 22nd regular National Assembly session and designate Southern Bottlenose Dolphins as the first ‘Eco Legal Person’ by 2025.
Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon stated, “The introduction of the Eco Legal Person system signifies not only a change in the legal system but also an innovation aimed at transitioning from a human-centered civilization to a civilization where humans and nature coexist, addressing the shared challenge of overcoming climate change.”
Southern Bottlenose Dolphins are mid-sized dolphins found in the Indian Ocean and the tropical and subtropical waters of the Western Pacific. Approximately 100 to 120 Southern Bottlenose Dolphins inhabit the coast of Jeju Island.
Jeju’s Southern Bottlenose Dolphins represent the world’s smallest group compared to Australia, where about 3,000 Southern Bottlenose Dolphins live, and Japan’s Kyushu, where around 300 Southern Bottlenose Dolphins live in groups.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
