First meeting of the Editorial Board of the Soil Atlas of Asia, 12 - 15 March 2018, Quezon City, Philippines. The preparation of the Soil Atlas of Asia is sponsored by Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC-EC).

1. Soil priorities at the national level:
Experience as editor: None
Soil priorities at the regional level:
Please specify the surface area affected by the identified priorities and which
countries they interest the most.
Network: FAO GSP/ASP National Focal Point
Name of the presenter: Chang-Hoon Lee, Yeon-Kyu Sonn
Sang-Ho Jeon, Suk-Young Hong
Main areas of expertise: Soil chemistry, Soil survey
Country: Republic of Korea
Threats
of soil function
Summary
Reliability
Status Change trend
Erosion (↙)
It is vulnerable to soil erosion due to mountainous terrain and
intensive summer rainfall(form June to September). Soil conservation
technology is being developed. As is not directly linked to farmer’s
income, pre-and post management on erosion is inadequate.
● ◒
Acidification
(↗)
The soil is acidified by the effect of base washing and deposition of
acidic compound by the rainfall. In the case of agricultural land, soil pH
is improving by continuous input of lime material.
● ●
Nutrient
unbalance
( - )
The application rate of chemical fertilizer decreased by 54%, while the
input of animal waste increased by 74% compared to 1990s. Balance
of nitrogen and phosphorus is 248 and 46 kg/ha, which is very high in
arable soil. Excess nutrients could be affected soil productivity and
water pollution to nearby water shield.
● ●
Compaction
(↙)
The mechanization of soil management is major reason to the
compaction of the soil. The compacted soil could reduce soil
productivity and water storage by restricting root growth and
infiltration .
◒ ◒
Sealing
(↙)
The impervious area has increased by the urbanization and
industrialization. Soil water storage and diversity is suppressed the
exchange between soil and materials as rainwater, light, oxygen.
◒ ◒
Soil Information that can be made available for the Atlas at the national level.
This could include maps (please indicate scale, date, classification used and if
available digital), reports, policy documents, scientific studies:
2. Soil map
◆ Soil classification: soil series(horizon, drainage, soil texture, properties etc.)
Reconnaissance
∙ Nation wide
∙ Suitability
Detailed
∙ Major cultivation area
- crop types
Highly detailed
∙ Field management
- Fertilization
 Periods 1964-1969 1970-1989 1995-1999
 Survey
 Mapping
(1998-2005)
(1:250,000) (1:25,000) (1:5,000)
Computerized
Soil map
1. Agriculture in Korea
 Total Land Area (South Korea): 100,284 km2
- Agricultural Land: ca. 19% (19,234 km2)
- Mountainous Land: ca. 64%
Cadastral Statistics, MOLIT, 2015
Dry upland: 38%
Wet paddy: 59%
Pasture
2.4%
 Composition of arable soil: 19,234 km2
Please specify the surface area affected by the identified soil threats and (if
any) which actions are taken to address them.
1. Threats on Korea soils
◆ Major issue related to soil managements
Soil thematic map
No. of
attributes
Soil attribute
Morphological and
physical properties map
9
Soil texture, drainage class, available depth, slope, gravel
content, soil color, soil erosion grade, etc.
Land-use map 6
Land use, land use recommendation (paddy field, upland,
orchard), soil type (paddy field, upland, forest), etc.
Soil classification map 5 Soil order, suborder, topography, parent materials, deposition
Crop suitability map 61
Apple, pear, mandarin orange, water melon, grapes, strawberry, tomato,
cucumber, cabbage, etc.
Land suitability map 5 Paddy field, upland, orchard, grass, forest soils
Chemical properties map 25
pH, organic matter, available phosphate, potassium, calcium,
available silicate, etc. for each cropland unit
◆ Soil thematic maps and their attributes on the web
Soil Information that can be made available for the Atlas at the national level.
This could include maps (please indicate scale, date, classification used and if
available digital), reports, policy documents, scientific studies:
3. Textbook, Reports, scientific studies
◆ Textbook: Taxonomical classification of Korean soils
- Description of 405 soil series
∙ Typifying Pedon, Type location, Range in Characteristics
∙ Competing series and their difference, Principal associated soils
∙ Drainage, Permeability, Use, Vegetation
◆ Reports: Agricultural Environmental change monitoring
- Sites: fixed point(total: 12,632)
∙ Cycle: 1 per 4 years(paddy(4,047), upland(3,342), orchard(2,729), plastic film house(2,534)
∙ Data: physicochemical properties, waster quality, diversity etc.
∙ Sampling depth: 0-30 cm
◆ Scientific studies: national scales
- Prediction of Carbon and soil properties by digital soil mapping
∙ SOC: total amount, coefficient of paddy and upland, C stock change
∙ Soil properties: available water capacity, soil pH etc.
Years pH
OM
(g/kg)
Ex.cation(cmol+/kg) Av.P2O5
(mg/kg)
Av.SiO2
(mg/kg)K Ca Mg
`64~`68
`80~`89
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
5.5
5.7
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.8
5.9
5.9
26
27
25
22
23
25
27
28
0.23
0.23
0.32
0.32
0.30
0.30
0.30
0.30
4.5
3.8
4.0
4.0
4.6
4.8
5.3
5.6
1.8
1.4
1.2
1.4
1.3
1.4
1.3
1.3
60
107
128
136
141
131
130
138
78
88
72
86
118
127
153
182
Optimum
rage
5.5-
6.5
25-30
0.2-
0.3
5.0-
6.0
1.5-
2.0
80-120 130-180
241
180
270
186
253
248
0
100
200
300
400
500
0
100
200
300
Chemical fertilizer Animal waste
Others N balnce(Input-Output)
Nbalance(kgNha-1)
Inputrate(kgNha-1)
∙ Chemical properties of paddy soil ∙ N balance ∙ Soil erosion
※ Soil erosion is estimated 52 million ton per year
〮 68.7% of upland was exceeded OECD recommended standard (soil loss 11.0 MT / ha / yr)
2. Optimum fertilization in arable soils
◆ Soil fertility management by optimum fertilization
Soil sampling Pre-treatment Composition analysis
Soil test analysis
Computing Data Fertilizer recommendation to farmer
Fertilizer recommendation
Testing soil
fertility
by analysis
Nutrient
supply for
crop
cultivation
◆ Crop productivity by diagnosis of soil nutrients
- Diagnosis of soil nutrient status
: Since soil pH is high, It was deficient P uptake for crop growth due to insoluble phosphate
- Solution: Reduction soil pH by phosphoric acid → P availability in soil improved by solubility
of insoluble phosphate
1. Feb. 25. Apr.
• Soil status : pH 8.2 (Av.P2O5 3,106 mg/kg)
• Yield : 5 box/day
Phosphoric acid, HNO3 0.2%
Prescription
• Results : pH 7.4 (Av.P2O5 700 mg/kg)
• Yield : 15 box/day
◆ Others
- SOM management
by organic sources
〮 Crop residue: rice straw etc.
〮 Animal waste: cattle, pig etc.
〮 Food waste
SOM(g/kg)
- Soil conservation
〮 Contourcroppingwithmulching
〮 Cover crop(Green manure)