Korea waters down emissions cut plan

South Korea on Thursday unveiled four different targets for an emissions reduction by 2030, which critics say would backtrack from its previous commitments. The Ministry of Environment said it would choose one from among the four options before the country submits it to the United Nations later this month. National goals will be evaluated for a new global climate change pact to be adopted at a U.N. conference in Paris in December. Korea‘s new proposals call for a reduction by 14.7 percent, 19.2

June 11, 2015

S. Korea urged to pick site for disposal of spent nuclear fuel by 2020

South Korea should start preparing for permanent disposal of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel by picking the site for a proving ground and interim storage by at least 2020, a public debate commission said Thursday.  The Public Engagement Commission on Spent Nuclear Fuel Management also recommended the country begin permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel by 2051.  "The commission has recommended that spent nuclear fuel that is currently stored in temporary storage facilities be moved to sa

June 11, 2015

S. Korea to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 14 pct by 2030

South Korea plans to soon finalize its long-term commitments to climate change that will require Seoul to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 14 percent from its business-as-usual level by 2030, the government said Thursday.  The government plans to set the country's final reduction target after public surveys and debates, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. A report containing the country's voluntary commitments will be submitted to the United Nations before the end of

June 11, 2015

Most elementary school students deem environment pollution serious

Nine out of 10 elementary school students think that environment pollution is serious, a survey showed Tuesday.　An at-home learning program provider “i-Scream Home-Learn” conducted a survey on 22,059 elementary school students on their perception toward the value of the environment.Of the respondents, 93 percent said the level of pollution was at a serious stage.Only 1,600, or 7 percent, said that the pollution was not worrisome. The survey was conducted on the occasion of the 20th Environment D

June 2, 2015

S. Korea urges China to curb illegal fishing in Yellow Sea

South Korea urged China Thursday to take "strong and effective" measures against its fishing ships illegally operating near the inter-Korean sea border.  Often appearing in the crab-rich waters around the Yellow Sea border between the two Koreas, Chinese fishing vessels are a constant problem for South Korean officials.  Such an illicit act by Chinese fishermen not only threatens the livelihoods of their local counterparts, especially during the ongoing crab-fishing season, but also further rais

May 21, 2015

Biz lobby urges gov't to ease greenhouse gas emission goal

A major business lobby in South Korea called on the government Wednesday to lower its reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions, saying that it is "impossible" to achieve.The government earlier proposed cutting greenhouse gas emission by 30 percent from business-as-usual levels by 2020. It plans to submit its greenhouse gas emission target to the United Nations soon ahead of the launch of a new climate regime after 2020."Since the government's emission target is in effect impossible to achie

May 13, 2015

Environmental ministers of S. Korea, China, Japan to hold talks

Environmental ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will hold three-way talks later this week to tackle yellow dust, smog and maritime pollution, a South Korean diplomat said Monday.   South Korean Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu and his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Chen Jining and Yoshio Mochizuki, will meet in the Chinese hub of Shanghai on Thursday.   Also, on Wednesday, the ministers will hold one-on-one meetings, the diplomat said on the condition of anonymity because she was

April 27, 2015

S. Korea opens way for spent fuel recycling

South Korea Wednesday struck a deal with the United States for the start of full-fledged research into a new technique for spent nuclear fuel recycling that could greatly reduce concerns over storage shortage.Seoul also opened the way to produce low-enriched uranium, a boost to its pursuit of a stable supply of nuclear fuel.After more than four years of negotiations, the two sides struck a 21-point deal that calls for bilateral cooperation based on the "principles of equality and reciprocity." a

April 23, 2015

S. Korea to spend big on clean, renewable energy sector

South Korea will invest over 1.8 trillion won ($1.66 billion) this year to help boost the clean and renewable energy sector with the related market expected to be worth some 4.6 trillion won by 2017, the government said Wednesday.Under the new measures, approved at an economic ministers' meeting Wednesday, the government will spend 430 billion won in 2015 alone to develop key technologies, such as those related to bioenergy, fuel cells and carbon capture sequestration, according to the Ministry

April 22, 2015

World water forum opens in S. Korea for six-day run

A global water forum kicked off for a six-day run in this southeastern city on Sunday to explore ways to cope with water shortages and other related problems, organizers said.  The World Water Forum, the seventh of its kind, brings together about 1,800 political leaders, businesspeople and activists from around the world under the theme of "Water for Our Future," according to the organizers.  The triennial event, held since 1997, provides a platform of discourse for world leaders, experts, busin

April 12, 2015

Park hails desalination as water shortage solution

President Park Geun-hye said Thursday that a new innovation center in southeast South Korea could play a leading role in addressing the global water crisis.  South Korea has emerged as a powerhouse in the water treatment and desalination sector at a time when desalination is hailed as a promising industry amid global water shortages.  The innovation center will "play a leading role in solving the global water problem" based on the desalination technology, Park said in the opening ceremony of the

April 9, 2015

Park plants national flower on Arbor Day

President Park Geun-hye on Sunday called on people on Arbor Day to join forces in times of difficulty, noting South Korea's successful forestation projects decades ago.Park said the forestation projects in the 1960s and 70s became successful as many people joined together for a long period of time.She made the comment after planting South Korea's national flower Mugunghwa, the rose of Sharon, in an Arbor Day ceremony at the garden of the presidential compound.South Korea, once one of the world's

April 5, 2015

Gov't to conduct ecological survey of four major rivers

The environment ministry said Wednesday it will conduct an ecological survey of the nation's four major rivers by 2016 to address various problems revealed last year with the previous administration's controversial project to revitalize them.  A signature project of the former President Lee Myung-bak government, the 22 trillion won ($22 billion) project to refurbish the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers ended in 2013 with no apparent upsides on flood prevention, water quality and ecosystems

Feb. 25, 2015

Opposition leader calls for shutdown of aged nuclear reactor

The chief of the main opposition party on Tuesday expressed strong opposition to extending the life span of an aged nuclear reactor, saying the government should demonstrate its sincerity about improving public safety.  The remarks by Moon Jae-in, chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, came two days before the nation's nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, is scheduled to discuss the issue of whether to restart the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor.  The 678-megawat

Feb. 24, 2015

S. Korea hit by worst winter yellow dust in 5 years

The worst winter seasonal yellow dust in five years blanketed the Korean Peninsula on Monday, prompting the authorities to issue health warnings against the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China.  According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, yellow dust warnings were issued at 10 a.m. in Incheon, Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and part of Gangwon Province with dust advisories in place for most other parts of the peninsula except some southeastern cities, including Busan and Ulsan.  The dust w

Feb. 23, 2015

Worst yellow dust blankets peninsula

The year's worst yellow dust hit much of the nation Sunday, prompting the authorities to issue health warnings against the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China.  The Korea Meteorological Administration issued yellow dust advisories in Seoul and 16 cities and counties in its surrounding Gyeonggi Province at 5 p.m. for the first time this year.  The advisories were heightened to dust warnings as of 8:10 p.m. as an hourly average dust concentration of more than 700 to 1,100 micrograms per cubic me

Feb. 23, 2015

Korean Peninsula hit by 51 quakes in 2014

A total of 51 earthquakes struck the Korean Peninsula last year, with the strongest temblor measuring 5.1 in magnitude, the government said Sunday.Last year's tally is slightly under the annual average of 52.9 quakes for the 10 years since 2005, according to the Ministry of Public Safety and Security.The 5.1-magnitude earthquake, which was reported in waters about 100 kilometers northwest of the West Gyeongnyeolbi Archipelago off Taean on the central west coast on April 1, marked the fourth-stro

Feb. 1, 2015

Korean carbon market trades thin but gains on first day

South Korea's carbon emission market was quiet on the first day of trading on Monday, with the initial price for allowances rising to a level similar to that of the European carbon exchange.The Korea Exchange began the national cap-and-trade system to join the government's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below business-as-usual (BAU) levels over the next five years.A total of 525 local companies are subject to trade an emission quota of 15.98 billion Korean Allowance Units

Jan. 12, 2015

Korean Peninsula hit by 49 quakes in 2014

A total of 49 earthquakes with a magnitude 2.0 or greater struck the Korean Peninsula last year, with the strongest temblor measuring 5.1 in magnitude, the state weather agency said Thursday.Last year's tally is slightly higher than the annual average of 47.7 quakes between 1999 and 2013, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.Eight of the quakes recorded last year had a magnitude of 3.0 or higher with 11 of them strong enough to be felt by humans, it said.The strongest 5.1-magnitude

Jan. 8, 2015