Asiatic bears are an umbrella species at the top of the food chain of wild animals in Korea. Since its existence was confirmed in 2000, it became important to maintain the breed of the original stock by reinforcing the individuals in the species. The Asiatic black bear restoration project aims to restore an entire ecosystem by establishing a foundation on which humans and wild animals can coexist. In 2001, the National Institute of Environmental Research selected 4 young bears in captivity and released them into the wild in Jirisan on a test basis. KNPS received Asiatic black bears from the National Institute of Environmental Research and established the Asiatic Black Bear Management Team in its Jirisan South Office in 2002. In 2004, six individuals of the subspecies Ursus thibetanus ussuricus were imported from Russia and were released into Jirisan after a period of adaptation training. In 2005, four pairs of the same subspecies were sent by Pyongyang Jungang Zoo and released in the same manner.