Meeting from 25-29 May 2009, in Jeju, Republic of Korea, the 21st session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme decided to add 22 new sites from 17 countries to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which now counts 553 sites in 107 countries.

The new sites include the first Biosphere Reserves in two countries, Malaysia and Syria, and a sacred site in North Korea.
Link to further information
UNESCO release, 26 May 2009