Article Written By: Jiah Hyun
In the 1970s, under the rule of dictator-president Park, the industry and manufacturing in South Korea skyrocketed. Unfortunately, during this time, maintaining sufficient protection of the country's ecosystems was a remote second priority as compared to improving the economic development of the nation. Not only the environment itself but also, air quality in Seoul and the surrounding province significantly worsened throughout this period of rapid industrialization.
As South Korea developed itself, the country’s priorities have changed. In fact, compared to the past few years, the South Korean government has actually passed numerous environmental laws. This includes restrictions on both green belts and emission that have once dramatically enhanced Seoul’s air quality. Despite this development and effort, South Korea, especially Seoul, remains one of the most polluted countries in the world in terms of air quality. In fact, a study conducted that Incheon has the worst air quality of all nations of the organization for economic cooperation and development. The prominent obstacles South Korea faces is understanding whether this air pollution is a result of their own production or is carried by the wind from neighboring countries. To address these concerns, the South Korean President is currently overseeing a find dust task force in an effort to alert residents of Seoul of fine dust particle levels to remain indoors.
South Korea is the world’s fifth largest user of nuclear power and this dependence has created a need for protected places to dispose of nuclear consumption materials. Approximately 70% of South Korea’s nuclear waste, which amounts to nearly 9,000 tonnes, is currently being held in storage pools intended to be temporary, according to a report from Reuters.
As a result, water difficulties have been severe dilemmas that have plagued this country since the 1990s. Even though multiple water policies have been implemented by the government, of which included an extra water use price for lowland water users to pay for Highland citizens in an attempt to reduce highland agricultural intensification, the country is still grappling with water pollution quandaries. While the water quality of South Korea is considered acceptable in many locations, the majority of South Korean tend to boil or filter their tap water.
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Website Citations:
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Gibson, Jenna. “South Korea Once Again Choked by Dangerous Smog.” The Diplomat, The Diplomat, 16 Jan. 2019, thediplomat.com/2019/01/south-korea-once-again-choked-by-dangerous-smog/.
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Portland State Uni. “South Korea's Polluted River Basin.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 12 July 2018, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180712100519.htm.
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Project, Borgen. “Water Quality in South Korea.” The Borgen Project, 13 Apr. 2017, borgenproject.org/water-quality-in-south-korea/.
Photo Citations:
Photo 1:
Hu, Elise. “Korea's Air Is Dirty, But It's Not All Close-Neighbor China's Fault.” NPR, NPR, 3 June 2016, www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/06/03/478796463/koreas-air-is-dirty-but-its-not-all-close-neighbor-chinas-fault.