The city of Gumi has decided to extract DNA from a 450-year-old ginkgo tree in Nongsori in order to preserve the tree's genetic information.

The city also plans to clone the tree, Korea’s National Monument No. 225, in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Forest Research Institute.

The city government decided to pursue the preservation project in lieu of potential threats from climate change and natural disasters such as typhoons and lightning.

The ginkgo tree is 21-point-six meters tall and 11-point-nine meters in width and was designated a national monument in 1970.