South Korea is confirmed to have more than 47,000 indigenous species of animals and plants for the first time in 20 years, with more than 100,000 native species presumed to exist on the entire Korean Peninsula, a state-run think tank said Thursday.

The National Institute of Biological Resources, affiliated with the Environment Ministry, put the number of the country's indigenous biological species at 47,003 as of December last year, which it has listed as part of a project to establish a comprehensive inventory of national biological resources.

The tally came after 18,541 species of animals and plants were added to the national species list, compared to the 28,462 species announced by the ministry in 1996.

On the list are 1,971 species of vertebrates, 25,497 species of invertebrates, 5,379 species of plants, 4,840 species of fungi and lichens, 5,857 species of algae, 1,750 species of protozoan and 1,709 species of prokaryotes.

The vertebrates comprise 125 species of mammals, 522 species of birds, 52 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 1,272 species of fish.

Among the plants are 1,111 species of monocotyledons, 2,998 species of dicotyledons, 53 species of gymnosperms, 293 species of pteridophytes and 924 species of bryophytes. (Yonhap)