Ban stresses concerted efforts to tackle fine dust as new body launched

Ban Ki-moon, a former chief of the United Nations, gives a speech at Sangmyung University in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Ban Ki-moon, a former chief of the United Nations, stressed the need for concerted efforts to tackle fine dust air pollution Monday as South Korea launched a new pan-national agency to address the issue.

Ban, the agency's inaugural chief, also said the country should make efforts to reduce fine dust emissions significantly to help facilitate cooperation with China.

The National Council on Climate and Air Quality set sail Monday, tasked with providing the government with policy recommendations on how to tackle fine dust pollution and exploring ways to cooperate with neighboring countries.

"As the fine dust issue is tangled with shared interests, it is not easy to resolve it. For fundamental solutions, I will make efforts to communicate with the people and accommodate their opinions beyond some sectors' vested interests," Ban said in an opening speech at a ceremony in Seoul to mark the body's launch.

South Korea designated fine dust as a social disaster in March as the intensity and frequency of the air pollution has increased in recent months. A large portion of the fine dust is believed to blow in from China.

President Moon Jae-in earlier asked Ban to help the government address the issue and appointed him the head of the agency. Ban played a key role in producing the Paris climate accord in 2015.

The council consists of Ban and 42 members selected from various sectors including political parties, the business circle, the government, expert groups and civil society.

Ban stressed the need to seek international cooperation in dealing with the fine dust issue.

South Korea's state-run agencies have said pollutants coming from China are responsible for about 50 to 70 percent of the air pollution over the peninsula.

Beijing claimed its air quality has markedly improved, saying Seoul should not try to find an external cause of fine dust pollution in China.

"But for mutual benefits to both countries, our efforts to significantly reduce the emission of fine dust should come first," Ban noted.

"It is high time to address the issue as the public interest and the government's resolve to tackle fine dust have reached the highest levels," Ban said.

The agency plans to come up with measures that can be put in place swiftly to cope with high levels of fine dust in the coming winter.

It also plans to explore a long-term plan to resolve the fine dust issue in a fundamental manner.

Beginning in the second year after its launch, the council will assess the government's performance in the previous year and provide policy recommendations.

"The people deserve to enjoy clean air. Let's make a country safe from fine dust air pollution together," Moon said in a message to celebrate the launch read by his chief of staff Noh Young-min.

Moon expressed hope that the agency could set an example of finding cooperative models with the South's neighboring countries in addressing the issue.

Ban pledged efforts to unveil bold measures to cope with the issue, citing data from the 36-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

It showed that 44 South Korean cities were included in 100 global cities with the highest densities of fine dust.

"It is a national crisis. This is not a time for us to find fault with each other. There should be no hesitation (in addressing the matter)," he said.

In March, the National Assembly passed eight bills related to fine dust as part of the country's efforts to tackle the problem.

President Moon earlier instructed government officials to work with China and called for his country to put forward its own response, such as the permanent shutdown of aged power plants that use fossil fuel. (Yonhap)