Rice is a traditional staple food crop in Korea and many other countries. Although the center of rice origin is still unclear, it is believed to be introduced from China to the Korean Peninsula in the early Bronze Age via one of two possible routes—across the West Sea or along the northeastern seashore from China according to Hammer (2005) and Vavilov (1935). Rice germplasm has evolved through several millennia of cultivation and selection by our farming ancestors. An important consequence of the domestication of both plants and animals is a reduction of genetic variability (Hancock, 2004). Maintaining biodiversity is an important worldwide problem and different countries have various policies intended to preserve biodiversity. Because conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems is closely linked to the quality of human life, the preservation and improvement of ecosystems are problematic for agriculture.
