Geomorphological Significance of Geosites in Cheongsong UNESCO Global Geopark (Republic of Korea) – Evaluation Framework and Opportunities for Enhancement

Cheongsong UNESCO Global Geopark (UGGp) is located in the south-eastern part of the Korean Peninsula, in a mountainous setting with altitudes up to 1121 m asl. The geopark was admitted to the Global Geopark Network in 2017. It represents diverse geology, with igneous and sedimentary rocks of mainly Cretaceous age. Among the rock series is a thick (> 500 m) package of pyroclastic deposits which supports spectacular landscape of Juwangsan in the eastern section of the Geopark. Among 24 geosites designated within Cheongsong UGGp, as many as 20 have an evident geomorphological component and these are subject to analysis. Each of these geosites is presented in terms of geomorphology, followed by qualitative evaluation of their content, complementarity, and opportunities to enhance them as places of outdoor geoeducation. The main finding is that half of geosites in Cheongsong UGGp hold significant geomorphological value, even though they were designated to show other aspects of geoheritage. Rock – landform relationships and fluvial landforms and processes are the main themes illustrated by the geosites, most being also associated with considerable scenic values. Moreover, it is suggested that the significance of geosites is not limited to show specific landforms, but they have a potential to illustrate several broader concepts in geomorphology such as erosional response to uplift, rock control in landform evolution, hillslope – channel connectivity, the role of base level and knickpoints, helping to understand general principles of landscape development. The paper also proposes a framework to evaluate an existing network of geosites for geomorphological purposes and offers recommendations which, after adjustment to site-specific circumstances, may be also applicable elsewhere.