Restoration is the process of reducing or reversing damage to an ecosystem so that it can function in its original manner. However, many restoration programs do not achieve this. In the Nakdong Estuary, the largest migratory nesting site in the center of the East Asian–Australasian flyway, an estuarine barrage was constructed in the 1980s that required site restoration following its completion in 1987 and the expansion of several large industrial complexes(Noksan and Jangrim) and a residential development(Myeongji). The goal of the restoration was to restore the function of the wetland to its pre-disturbance state. To achieve this, a restoration program was designed consisting of three stages. The first stage(1993– 1995), saw the construction of three artificial wetlands(Shinhori, Daemadeung, and Eulsuk), the second(2003–2005) involved the dredging and returning of farmed lands to their natural state, and the third(2008–2012) focused on the rehabilitation and vegetation development of the wetlands. However, the project has not achieved all of the desired goals, and it is an example of the lapses in ecological restoration following anthropogenic disturbance. Issues that resulted in an incomplete restoration included the timing of the stages, noncompliance with the restoration plan, not directly monitoring the restoration or continuing the monitoring following completion of the development project, and the political subversion of the restoration plan. For the success of the restoration plan, it is necessary to avoid mistakes such as inconsistent monitoring, unequal levels of stakeholder involvement, and political interference.

Abstract
 1. Introduction
 2. Eulsuk Island and the Nakdong Estuary
  2.1. Restoration Stages
  2.2. Urbanization of the Busan Area
 3. Restoration of the Nakdong Estuary
  3.1. Stage 1: Construction of Three Artificial Wetlands in the Mid-1990s
  3.2. Stage 2: Eulsukdo Restoration Plans
  3.3. Stage 3: Construction Period(2007–2012)
 4. Mistakes in Eulsukdo
 5. Conclusion
  5.1. Nakdong Estuary and Eulsukdo Restoration
 Acknowledgements
 References

• Maurice JM Lineman(Department of English Language and Literature, KyungSung University)
• Yuno Do(Department of Forest Protection and Ecology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences)
• Ji-Yoon Kim(Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University)
• Gea-Jae Joo(Department of Biological Sciences, Pusan National University) Corresponding author