This study has been carried out with the purpose of coming up with suggestions for designation of domestic protection areas and improvement of their management through a comparative analysis of the systems of management of the protection areas in South Korea, Japan and China. Starting with the designation of natural reserves in 1962, South Korea has prepared legal systems for preserving ecosystems and biodiversity, while continuing to designate protected areas. As the state has so far monopolized the designation and management of all South Korean protection areas that take up 10.8% of its entire land area (as of Dec. 2011), with such persisting issues as multiple designations of one and the same area for protection, overlapping management authorities, and management of privately owned land in the protection areas. In Japan, which has protected area sizes and relevant legal systems similar to those in South Korea, the state provides the basic framework for management, while delegating most of the duties related to direct operation and management to specific municipalities. China, with an integrated administrative management of protected areas, has related government offices and municipalities responsible for the designation and management of individual protected areas. South Korea needs to provide a legally based support system that would further enhance the value of areal protection and contribute to the promotion of local economy and community.