Memorandum of Understanding on Black Bear protection was arranged between Republic of Korea and Russia last September. The Memorandum seeks to promote collaboration, exchange, and joint research in protecting diminishing black bears, a common challenge for the two countries.

The MOU entails the agreement on adopting Russian black bears into Korea in 2004, the action needed to gear Korea's restoration project on black bears. The six Russian born black bears to be adopted are found to have the same origins as Korean black bears. These bears will undergo nature adaptation training in Russia as well as domestic adaptation procedures in Korea, to make habitats in Jiri Mountain at the end of 2004.

The decision to adopt Russian Bears was reached because of the serious reproduction difficulties experienced by wild bears in Jiri Mountain. Only five to six bears are left alive today, and Korea may face extermination of the species in twenty years. Through the adoption of Russian Black bears, Korea plans to secure approximately fifty black bears that are capable of self survival, by 2012.