According to the survey conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Research on the 145 uninhabited islands in Korea, 17 islands, including Ongjin-gun and Dongman-do, were found to be kept intact without human activity, abounding with many endangered plants and animals protected under the Natural Environment Preservation Act and endowed with remarkable and rare resources of historical values.

The results of the survey demonstrated that special measures are needed to preserve the current state of the ecosystem and protect the endangered species inhabiting in these islands. Also, for some uninhabited islands such as Sangjang-do, Tongyeong-si, the measures for preservation are in urgent need because they are now being greatly affected by the human intervention, such as goat grazing, which significantly damage the environment.

Beginning in 2003, the Ministry of Environment plans to go through various meetings and consultations with the experts, local governments, and other related facilities, in order to reach a mutual agreement to designate the uninhabited islands with an excellent state of the natural ecosystem, as the special islands, for the sustainable management of the ecosystem.