1. In order to conserve the natural and artificial resources in national parks, and to implement the research and specimen collection operations within the national park area stipulated in Articles 14, 17, 18 and 21 of the National Park Law (herein, the Law), the following Guidelines is hereby promulgated. The Headquarters of each national park (herein, the Headquarters) shall be the executive body.
2. “Specimen” within these Guidelines refers to such as, animals, plants, minerals, rocks, fossils, soil, water, natural or artificial resources that are needed for research usages.
3. Specimen collection shall be carried out in areas outside the Ecological Protection Areas, with the exception of those who have applied to collect the specimen in these areas and are authorized by the Ministry of the Interior through the Headquarters according to the Article 18 of the Law.
4. Researchers or specimen collectors shall apply for Research Permit or Specimen Collection Permit prior to research or specimen collection. Researchers or specimen collectors shall carry Research Permits or Specimen Collection Permits and identification documents throughout collection period for the inspection of the personnel of the Headquarters or the Seventh Special Police Corps, National Police Agency, the Ministry of the Interior.
5. Those who apply for Research Permit or Specimen Collection Permit should prepare the following documents and apply to each Headquarters through the Internet:
a. The research plan.
b. Applicant for specimen collection must submit a specimen collection plan.
c. Applicant roster, front and back image files of the National Identification Card for each applicant, the residence permit or passport information page for foreigners, and each applicant's color photo taken within the past six months with a solid background, no hat, clear features, front-facing, and from the chest up.
Domestic civil associations applicant shall include at least one person with a doctorate degree from a relevant professional field or provide the research collaborative certificate or the research document from researcher of assistant professor position or higher from university or academic institution. However, those who undertake the projects entrusted by the governmental sectors are not limited.
Individual applicant shall have the research collaborative certificate or the research document from researcher of assistant professor position or higher from university or academic institution. However, those who are school teachers at all levels across the country and who have obtained prior consent from the Headquarters for teaching and research purposes are not subject to this limitation.
Foreign public or private-sector groups or individuals shall provide an official document or the research collaborative certificate from the domestic academic research. This application should be submitted by a domestic research institute partner.
The format of the research collaborative certificate indicated in the second to the preceding paragraphs is as appendix.
6. The research plan in Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 shall statethe project manager, research purpose(s), research area(s), research period, research method(s) and expected results.
The specimen collection plan in Subparagraph 2 of Paragraph 1 shall state the project manager, the necessity of collection, collection record, collection type, specification, quantity and unit, frequency, the total expected collection amount, collection period, collection area(s), collection method(s), collection tool(s), reason(s) for collection, and whether protected resource(s). For items that already have specimen collection records from academic institutions, the reason(s) for collection shall be stated. If the Headquarters has concerns about the collection types and collection methods of the specimen collection plan, the applicant should provide relevant descriptions such as review of relevant literature in the area(s) to be collected and an assessment of potential impact(s).
7. The review items of each Headquarters for the application are as follows:
a. Comprehensiveness of application documents.
b. Contents of the research plan.
c. Contents of the specimen collection plan in the Specimen Collection Permit application are reasonable.
d. Whether records show the applicant having previous record(s) that violated these Guidelines.
Applicant (or applicant bodies) whose documents do not meet the requirements shall not be issued a Specimen Collection Permit.
8. Specimen collection in the specimen collection plan shall be carried out by the approved personnel(s) under the supervision of the project manager.
9. If the specimen collection plan involves resources protected by other applicable laws, decrees and/or regulations, the applicant shall obtain the consent from the competent authority before conducting the collection.
10. If the applicant needs to revise the content of the approved research plan or the specimen collection plan, the applicant should apply to the Headquarters that issued the Permit in advance in document with explanations. The research or specimen collection can be carried out after the approval from the Headquarters.
11. Approved collection personnel shall adhere to the authorized contents and abide by the Law or other applicable laws, decrees or regulations. Those who are found to collect unauthorized content or collected specimen are used for commercial transactions or violate the Law or other applicable laws, decrees and regulations shall have their Permit invalidated or revoked by the Headquarters and may be subject to legal action.
12. Within three months after the completion of the research or collection, the applicant shall submit a copy of the raw data indicating the research or collection site(s) and a file of the research results report to the Headquarters that issued the Permit. If the applicant fails to submit above data, the Headquarters may reject the applicant's re-application of research or specimen collection plan. However, if the applicant expects to fail due to force majeure factors, he or she may explain in writing to the Headquarters before the end of the project after the Headquarters agrees, the applicant may apply again.