## 3 Results and Discussion
### Classification Analysis of LMO Collection Sites  
The classification of LMO-released locations is necessary for better monitoring performance and post-management in the following year. If the monitoring strategy in natural environments is to be made meaningful, it must be accompanied by risk assessment at LMO collection locations. Therefore, LMO collection sites were evaluated for 5 years for re-survey and post-management purposes. As shown in Figure 4A, the LM cotton plant population was spread across the country. If a stockbreeding farm or feed factory was located within 100 m of where the cotton was discovered growing in a natural environment, the collection site was classified as a stockbreeding farm or feed factory, respectively. Environments that did not fall into one of the four specific categories (port, roadside, stockbreeding farm, or feed factory) were classified as \"other\", which included festival and planting sites. Over a five-year period, 255 collection locations were analyzed, among which 32.2% were roadside areas, 30.2% were stockbreeding farm areas, 9.8% were feed factory areas, and 27.8% were other areas (Figure 4B,C). Furthermore, analysis of the collection sites indicated that LM cotton plants were mainly released in and growing in natural environments near stockbreeding farms and transportation routes every year (Figure 4B). These findings may be useful for re-surveys, risk assessment, and post-management in all LM cotton release locations.  
Figure 3: Identification of LM cotton from collected suspicious samples using immunochemical strip kits. (**A**) The total number of LM cotton samples (white) and non-LM cotton samples (gray) collected over a five-year period. (**B**) The percentages of LMO traits in LMO-positive samples.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Event**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Trait**} & \multicolumn{6}{c}{**Number of LM Cotton**} \\ \cline{3-7}  & & **2014** & **2015** & **2016** & **2017** & **2018** \\ \hline MON8913 & Herbicide & 2 & 2 & 2 & 0 & 0 \\ LLCOTTON25 & Herbicide & 0 & 1 & 0 & 1 & 0 \\ MON1445 & resistance & 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 & 0 \\ \hline MON531 & Insect resistance & 0 & 4 & 8 & 44 & 4 \\ MON15985 & Insect resistance & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ \hline MON15985\(\times\)MON88913 & & 15 & 8 & 7 & 11 & 58 \\ MON88913\(\times\)281-3006 & & 7 & 13 & 3 & 1 & 9 \\ MON88913, MON15985, 281-3006 & & 15 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ related stack & Herbicide/ & & 0 & 3 & 6 & 2 & 0 \\
281-3006 & & insect resistance & 0 & 2 & 0 & 1 & 8 \\ MON1445\(\times\)MON15985\(\times\)GHB614 & & 0 & 6 & 0 & 1 & 1 \\ LLCOTON255\(\times\)MON15985\(\times\)CHB614 & & 3 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ MON15985\(\times\)LLCOTTON25 & 3 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ GHB614\(\times\)T304-40\(\times\)GHB119 & & 0 & 0 & 2 & 0 & 2 \\ \hline Total & 43 & 40 & 29 & 61 & 82 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Number of LM cotton plants, event name, and trait type by year.  
Figure 4: Classification of LM cotton collection sites from 2014 to 2018. (**A**) Distribution of LM cotton in South Korea. (**B**) The percentages of collection site types: roadside, stockbreeding farm, feed factory, and other areas. (**C**) Field images of LM cotton growing near (**a**) the roadside, (**b**) a stockbreeding farm, (**c**) a feed factory, and (**d**) other areas. White circles indicate LM cotton in its natural habitat.