Seogwipo City is located in the southern part of Jeju Province, Republic of Korea and is well-known for its high ecological and cultural values. Its extraordinary natural environment attracts millions of visitors to the city. Mulyeongari-oreum Ramsar Site was designated as a wetland protection area on 5 December 2000, and became the first Ramsar Site in Jeju Island on 18 November 2006. This wetland is a crater lake located on the top of an oreum (cinder cone) in Sumang-ri, Namwon-eup, Seogwipo. It is distinguished from others by several unique characteristics, including its hydrological characteristics that depend on precipitation groundwater or surface water, and soil properties maintained by peat deposits formed on volcanic rocks.

The Mulyeongari-oreum Ramsar Site is home to the giant water bug (Lethocerus deyrolli) and boreal digging frog (Kaloula borealis). The area around the oreum is an important place as habitat of endangered species such as the fairy pitta (Pitta nympha), Japanese paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone atrocaudata), stag beetle (Prosopocoilus astacoides blanchardi), scarab beetle (Copris tripartitus Waterhouse), and Akebian fruit orchid (Cyrtosia septentrionalis).

Seogwipo City implements a governance system for managing wetlands. Local residents, experts, environmental NGOs, and government officials participate in such practice. The governing body regularly deliberates on planned projects, budget, among others.

The Committee on Management of Local Region constantly carries out the mission to establish the plan of Seogwipo Wetland City through benchmarking of projects and roles of other Ramsar Sites. Seogwipo City is actively providing administrative and financial support for projects being planned by the local residents and the Committee on Management of Local Region.

Communication, capacity building, education, participation and awareness (CEPA) activities are being implemented in the city. The city actively communicates with the local people to discover the traditional knowledge and cultural heritage of wetlands, and recognize the wetland culture of local residents.

Seogwipo City supports wetland schools and a permanent wetland academy for local residents, and trains wetland interpreters. In addition, the city organizes a Wetland Cultural Festival where local people are given an opportunity to introduce local culture, set up exhibits on wetland ecosystem, carry out wetland protection campaigns, and sell and promote local food and products such as bracken, honey and tangerine.

Seogwipo City puts emphasis on raising public awareness on the necessity of wetland conservation, understanding climate change, revitalization of eco-tourism, identifying field sites for wetland education, and branding of local products. The Mulyeongari Wetland Center supports these objectives.