Ⅰ. Background and Objectives
1.Rationales and objectives
oThe objective of this research is as follows:
ㅇIn preparation for a potential implementation of an inter-Korean development project in North Korea, information on the natural environment needs to be collected and analyzed in advance. This research was designed to provide basic information required for environmental impact assessment before the launch of a development project by utilizing satellite image analysis and modeling methods.

2. Scope and execution
oPrevious research projects have been reviewed, and documents and data on North Korea’s natural environment have been collected and analyzed. The geospatial information on the natural environment conditions and the extent of changes by each municipality was visualized.
ㅇThe analysis of land cover changes has been conducted, utilizing the large-category land cover map provided by the National Environment Information Network System under the Ministry of Environment.
ㅇThe InVEST Scenario Generator Model (3.8.0) was used for the analysis and forecast of a land cover scenario. For the qualitative analysis of habitats, the InVEST Habitat Quality Model (3.8.0) was applied.
Ⅱ. Analysis of ecosystem changes in North Korea by period
1.Analysis of forest ecosystem changes
oThe large-category land cover map showed that forest area in North Korea stood at approximately 91,936km2 around 1988. However, the area appears to have shrunk by 7.2% over the period of about 30 years to reach 85,345km2 around 2019.
ㅇBased on the large-category land cover map, the percentage of fo