my timesThe Korea Times
South KoreaEnvironment & Animals

Environment & Animals

Paw print
Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Rising temperatures prompt Seoul to launch power-saving campaign

Ventilation fans for air-conditioners cover an exterior of a building in Seoul, May 15. Korea Times filePromotion, education, subsidies offered to mitigate seasonal high demand for electricityBy Ko Dong-hwanWith temperatures already reaching levels seen in the sweltering summer months, the central and local governments as well as residents are increasingly concerned about rising electricity consumption as air conditioner use is increasing. Particularly this summer, El Nino has begun cranking up water temperatures surrounding the Korean Peninsula, contributing to the early arrival of the summer season.The government also raised electricity rates by 5.3 percent, May 16, adding a significant financial burden to the public.The Seoul Metropolitan Government is asking residents to take part in a power-saving campaign as well as offering subsidies for power consumption. Power meters outside a commercial building in Seoul, Feb. 28 / NewsisSince 2020, the city's overall power usage has been increasing by 3 percent annually, indicating that electricity consumption is likely to increase this su

May 23, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan
Rising temperatures prompt Seoul to launch power-saving campaign

Korean inspection team arrives in Japan for Fukushima inspection

Yoo Guk-hee, head of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, on May 21, before leading a team of experts to Fukushima, Japan, for a safety inspection of a nuclear power plant damaged by a 2011 earthquake. YonhapA team of Korean experts arrived in Japan on Sunday for an on-site inspection ahead of the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.The inspection ― the first independent one by Korean experts ― is a follow-up to the summit between Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul earlier this month. The two leaders also met in Hiroshima earlier in the day, their third meeting in two months as bilateral relations thaw.Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairperson Yoo Guk-hee, who is leading the 21-member team, said easing safety concerns of the Korean public is part of his team's job description."If we take a scientific approach to explain what we saw and what we need to confirm further, then I think people wil

May 21, 2023
Korean inspection team arrives in Japan for Fukushima inspection

Korea issues highest-level warning against foot-and-mouth disease

Quarantine officials in protective suits enter a beef cattle farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province to cull cattle after outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) cases, May 11. YonhapKorea on Friday raised the crisis level of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to the highest point in central regions and will implement beefed-up quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the animal disease, the agriculture ministry said.The warning level was heightened by two notches from "caution" to "serious," the highest level of its four-tier system, for the central city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province; the county of Jeungpyeong in the same province; and seven other adjacent regions, including Daejeon, Sejong and Cheonan, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.It is the first time since March 2018 that the government has raised the warning level to the highest point.The move came as the country has reported a series of FMD cases in the regions recently after confirming a case earlier this month for the first time in more than four years.Up until early Frida

May 19, 2023
Korea issues highest-level warning against foot-and-mouth disease

Korea, Japan hold additional working-level talks on Seoul's Fukushima inspection

Tanks containing water from the disabled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are seen at the power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, March 8. Reuters-YonhapKorea and Japan held additional working-level consultations Wednesday to discuss details of Seoul's inspection of Tokyo's plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to diplomatic sources. The virtual meeting of deputy director-general-level officials from Seoul and Tokyo was held in the afternoon, the sources said. The meeting was arranged to go over details of the Seoul team's on-site inspection activities at the plant later this month.Last Friday, Seoul and Tokyo held their initial consultations on the inspection mission, which was agreed upon during a summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier this month. Seoul plans to form a team of nuclear experts based on the facilities within the Fukushima plant and related data which Tokyo agrees to open to the inspection.The team is expected to check the operation of the

May 17, 2023
Korea, Japan hold additional working-level talks on Seoul's Fukushima inspection

Korea to complete vaccinations at local farms this week amid FMD outbreak

Officials assess the areas recently affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak with the aid of a detailed map in the situation room of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in the central city of Sejong, May 15. YonhapKorea plans to complete vaccinations at local farms by the end of this week in the latest move to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday. The move came after Korea has confirmed 10 cases of FMD since reporting its first outbreak in more than four years in the central city of Cheongju, 112 kilometers south of Seoul, last week. Currently, nine cattle farms and one goat farm have reported cases of FMD infections, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.In addition to the vaccination campaign, the ministry has implemented a ban on the transportation of cattle to and from seven regions, including Cheongju, as well as its neighboring areas of Jeungpyeong, Daejeon and Sejong, effective through May 30.The vaccinations in the seven regions will be completed Wednesday.FMD affects cloven-hoo

May 17, 2023
Korea to complete vaccinations at local farms this week amid FMD outbreak

4.5 magnitude quake strikes off east coast

This image showing the location of a 4.5 magnitude earthquake, is provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, May 15. YonhapA 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast city of Donghae on Monday, the weather agency said, but no damage has been reported.The quake occurred in waters about 59 kilometers northeast of Donghae, located 182 km east of Seoul, at 6:27 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).The epicenter was at 37.99 degrees north latitude and 129.72 degrees east longitude, with the depth estimated at 32 km, the agency said.It was the strongest quake to occur on the Korean Peninsula or waters around it so far this year.Similar quakes have been reported off the east coast in recent weeks, though they caused no damage.A total of 18 reports of tremors being felt have been filed from Donghae and two nearby cities, but no reports of damage have been received, according to fire authorities.The weather agency had initially put the scale of the Monday earthquake at 4 magnitude, based on the analysis of P waves that travel faster than other se

May 15, 2023
4.5 magnitude quake strikes off east coast

Korea to test radiation in ships' ballast water from 6 Japanese prefectures

Storage tanks for contaminated water at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, are seen in this March 11, 2022 photo. YonhapThe oceans ministry said Sunday it plans to carry out a rapid radiation test on ballast water from ships departing from ports near Japan's Fukushima.The move came ahead of Japan's plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, which has stored more than 1.3 million tons of water since three reactors melted down after a powerful earthquake struck off the coast in March 2011.Korea plans to check radiation levels on ballast water from ships departing from 17 ports in six prefectures, namely Aomori, Iwate, Fukushima, Miyagi, Ibaraki and Chiba, with mobile devices starting May 22, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.The oceans ministry said the mobile device will allow authorities to check radiation levels in ballast water within an hour, compared to the in-depth analysis that took around 14 days.Currently, Korea requests ships departing from

May 14, 2023
Korea to test radiation in ships' ballast water from 6 Japanese prefectures
  • Seoul, Tokyo at odds over inspection of Fukushima nuclear power plant

3.1 magnitude quake strikes off east coast, no damage reported

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck off the eastern coastal city of Donghae, indicated in this map provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration, May 14. YonhapA 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coastal city of Donghae on Sunday, but no damage has been reported.The quake occurred in waters about 51 kilometers northeast of Donghae at 8:35 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).The epicenter was at 37.86 degrees north latitude and 129.51 degrees east longitude, and the depth was 33 kilometers, the agency said.Similar quakes have been reported off the east coast in recent weeks, though they caused no damage. (Yonhap)

May 14, 2023
3.1 magnitude quake strikes off east coast, no damage reported

Korea, Japan agree on Seoul team's four-day visit to assess nuclear water release plan

Government officials from South Korea and Japan wait for a working-level meeting on Seoul's plan to send an inspection team to the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, to begin at Seoul's foreign ministry, May 12. Korea Times photo by Ha Sang-yoonKorea and Japan have agreed that a delegation from Seoul will visit Japan for four days to assess Tokyo's plan to discharge radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.Working-level officials from the two countries held a meeting in Seoul, Friday, to discuss the details of the South Korean experts' planned visit to the plant. The meeting lasted for 12 hours until around 2 a.m. Saturday.The two sides agreed on the team's four-day visit during the meeting and will hold an additional consultation in the coming days, the ministry said.The director-general-level meeting came after President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reached an agreement on the visit during a summit held last Sunday.It was headed by Yun Hyun-soo, head of the foreign ministry's bureau for

May 13, 2023
Korea, Japan agree on Seoul team's four-day visit to assess nuclear water release plan
  • Seoul, Tokyo at odds over inspection of Fukushima nuclear power plant

Korea confirms additional foot-and-mouth disease case

Quarantine officials in protective suits enter a beef cattle farm in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, central Korea to cull cattle after outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) cases were confirmed there and at two other beef cattle farms in the region, May 11. YonhapKorea has confirmed an additional foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case at a local farm, bringing this year's total cases to four, the agriculture ministry said Friday.The latest case was found at a beef cattle farm in the central city of Cheongju, some 112 kilometers south of Seoul, late Thursday, which was raising 50 cows, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.The country reported FMD cases on Wednesday for the first time in more than four years, with all the recent contagions occurring at beef cattle farms in the city.Authorities are culling several hundred cattle and carrying out intensive disinfection work in adjacent cities to prevent the spread of the disease.The government issued a 48-hour standstill order on all animal farms and related facilities across the nation to remain effecti

May 12, 2023
Korea confirms additional foot-and-mouth disease case
previous page
7374757677
next page

Most Read in South Korea