The Gyeongho River flows through western Gyeongsangnam-do

Gyeongsangnam-do

Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many...

 in southern South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. It rises on the eastern slopes of Jirisan

Jirisan

Jirisan is a mountain in the southern region of South Korea. It is often considered one of the three most important mountains in South Korea , with Hallasan and Seoraksan being the other two....

 and flows around the edge of Jirisan National Park

Jirisan National Park

Jirisan National Park is a national park in South Korea, located on the boundaries of Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangnam-do. Jirisan was the first park to be designated as a national park in South Korea, in 1967...

, eventually joining the Deokcheon River at Jinyang Lake

Jinyang Lake

Jinyang Lake is a reservoir covering portions of Jinju and Sacheon in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. The water surface covers approximately 29 km². It was formed in 1970, by the construction of a dam where the Gyeongho and Deokcheon rivers join to form the Nam River.Most of the Jinju side of the...

. Thereafter it drains into the Nam River, and then into the Nakdong River

Nakdong River

The Nakdong River is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan.-Geography:...

, which carries its waters into the Sea of Japan

Sea of Japan

The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific...

 (East Sea).

Numerous rare species can be found in and near the Gyeongho River, including the endangered European otter

European Otter

The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....

.