The threatened species categories, the 2000 IUCN Red List, proposed by SSC (Species Survival Commission) of IUCN have become widely recognized internationally. On the other hand, the criteria by Ministry of Environment and Korea Forest Services were applied to the whole taxa by regional boundaries, especially in south Korea. An evaluation of taxa in Korea has been carried out by the very limited number of taxonomists only based on their personal experience and subjective views without objective and scientific data. We have applied the IUCN Red list criteria to seven taxa [Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, Stewartia koreana Nakai ex Rehder (sensu stricto, s.s.) or S, pseudocamellia Maxim. (sensu lato, s.l.), Elethroccocus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim., Kirengeshoma koreana Nakai (s.s.) or K. palmata Yatabe (s.l.), Megaleranthis saninculifolia Ohwi, Deutzia paniculata Nakai, and Leontice microrhyncha S. Moore] and the categories of threat for all taxa were determined respectively. Since some taxa of Kirengeshoma and Stewartia in Korea were treated as an endemic (sensu stricto) or synomized taxa to Japanese species (sensu lato), we applied these sensu lato and sensu stricto concepts to these taxa. This current study showed that Abeliophyllum distichum, Deutzia paniculata, Kirengeshoma koreana (s.s.) and K. palmata (s.l.) were evaluated as Critically Endangered (CR), and Megaleranthis saninculifolia and Stewartia koreana (s.s.) were Endangered (EN), while S. pseudocamelia (s.l.) and Elethroccocus senticosus turned out to be Least Concern (LC). Finally Leontice microrhyncha was evaluated as Vunerable (VU) based on our limited information. All list of rare and endangered taxa including the categorization proposed by the two Korean government institutes had been different each other and their evaluations were not concordant with those by the IUCN Red List evaluation. Although each species should be evaluated against all the criteria of IUCN Red List, meeting any of criterion is sufficient for listing. Many
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