On April 23rd. 2006 the last opening in the Saemangeum seawall was closed, isolating it forever and sealing the fate of all creatures that depended on it for survival. While Koreans walked on the wall for the first time, Buddhist monks, environmentalists and the fishing community came together on the wetland in a moving ceremony to mourn for the animals who would now lose their lives in the name of progress.
The transformation had begun.