Pope Francis called Wednesday for urgent efforts to tackle climate change, calling it a problem that shouldn't be passed onto future generations, as he delivered his first address on a landmark visit to the United States."I find it encouraging that you are proposing an initiative for reducing air pollution," the pope said at a welcoming ceremony at the White House before talks with President Barack Obama."Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change is a problem which can

Sept. 24, 2015

Environmentalists vowed Tuesday to launch a legal battle against the government over its recent decision to allow the construction of a cable car in one of the country’s most preserved national parks. Several environmental groups, including Green Korea United, said they would seek revocation against the government’s approval for the cable car project on Mount Seoraksan in Gangwon Province, claiming that the decision is invalid as it didn’t strictly follow the procedural rules.Last Friday, the mi

Sept. 1, 2015

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Monday pledged that South Korea will work closely with the international community to curb climate change affecting the Arctic and to ensure the sustainable development of the polar region.Yun made the pledge during the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic that the United States hosted in Anchorage, Alaska, to focus world attention on climate change affecting the polar region and discuss ways to tackle the phenomenon."My government, for the first time ev

Sept. 1, 2015

The Ministry of Environment on Friday gave its approval for a cable car to be set up on a popular mountain range near South Korea's eastern coast, a plan that has been criticized for its potential harm to the regional environment. The construction plan calls for a 3.5-kilometer long cable car system to be built at the southern region of Mount Seorak in Yangyang County, about 215 kilometers east of Seoul, setting up a means of convenient transportation all the way up to the peak of the Osaek area

Aug. 28, 2015

The White House on Monday cited South Korea's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions as an example that shows international momentum is building on the cause, as President Barack Obama announced a deeper carbon emissions reduction pledge."We also saw significant commitment in just the last month or so from South Korea, and that's an indication that there is building momentum toward the climate talks in Paris," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said at a briefing, referring to a U.N. c

Aug. 4, 2015

The Korean Peninsula will come under the direct influence of Typhoon Halola this weekend, bringing rain, wind gusts and rough surf, South Korea's state weather agency said Saturday.Halola, the 12th typhoon of this year, is marching toward Japan and Korea at the speed of 15 kilometers per hour, according to Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)."It is a small typhoon with the strength of 'middle.' As of 9 a.m. today, it was moving toward Jeju Island from waters about 220km east of Okinawa," L

July 25, 2015

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes commitments by South Korea and China to curb greenhouse gas emissions, his spokesman said Tuesday.  Earlier in the day, South Korea offered to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2030 from 850.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, an amount Seoul says it would reach if it let business run as usual.  China also committed to halting the rise in its greenhouse gas emissions within the next 15 years.  Seoul and Beijing formally submitted

July 1, 2015

South Korea offered to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2030, officials said Tuesday, an ambitious commitment ahead of a crucial global climate conference.  The contribution means that South Korea's overall emissions will stand at 535 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2030.  That represents a 37 percent cut from 850.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, an amount Seoul says it could reach without any measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions, or if it let business

June 30, 2015

South Korea will soon begin preparation for permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel, the government said Monday, a move that will include what will likely be an arduous process of selecting where the highly radioactive materials will be buried.  The move comes as the Public Engagement Commission on Spent Nuclear Fuel Management submitted its official and final recommendations on how to manage the country's spent nuclear fuel that included building an underground research facility by 2030.  The

June 29, 2015

South Korean businesses urged the government Tuesday to lower its reduction target of greenhouse gas emissions, saying the current goal will weaken their competitiveness.The government is in the process of finalizing its long-term commitments to climate change that will require Seoul to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 14 percent from its business-as-usual level by 2030. "Local firms are already struggling with the recent fluctuations in currency exchange rates and a slump in the glob

June 16, 2015

The government recommended Friday the state nuclear power operator permanently shut down the nation's oldest reactor when its operational license expires two years later, apparently caving in to strong opposition from residents and environmental groups over its safety.  The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy advised the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to close the Kori-1 reactor located in the southeastern port city of Busan, as it was deliberating whether to apply for extending the life of the

June 12, 2015