South Korea - The Korea Times

Korean big firms' climate commitment betrays public trust: analysis

InfluenceMap's Korea Country Manager Chang Yuna, left, and PRI's Climate Action 100+ Manager Ayako Nomizu, center, co-host a press conference at FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday when InfluenceMap launched a website where selective Korean companies' climate policy engagements are assessed and shared by global investors. Courtesy of Climate Media HubBy Ko Dong-hwanA global think-tank group on Tuesday launched a website dedicated to publicly sharing which Korean companies and industry associations are against the global movements of decarbonization and switching to renewable energy resources for power production. The data-based disclosure, largely catering to European investors interested in Korean companies, sheds new light on the double standards of companies who swore to endorse climate-based policies publicly all the while objecting to them behind closed doors. InfluenceMap, a U.K.-based climate advocacy group with one of its international offices in Seoul, selected 15 companies in Korea that are the biggest and publicly most supportive of climate policies and assessed their org

Oct 7, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan

Korean big firms' climate commitment betrays public trust: analysis

Rival parties call for gov't response to Japan's Fukushima water release plan

A civic organization urges Japan not to discharge radioactive water into the sea in a performance held in central Seoul on June 8. NewsisRival parties on Thursday called on the government to come up with measures to respond to Japan's plan to discharge radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea starting next year. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) voiced concerns over the plan in unison during an annual parliamentary audit session on the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, calling it a "matter of people's safety."In July, Japan's nuclear regulator, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, formally approved the plan to discharge the radioactive waste water stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. More than 1.2 million tons of tritium-laced water is expected to be released starting in spring next year."The government should work to resolve the Fukushima water release issue with all possible measures," Rep. So Byung-hoon, head of the parliamentary oceans committee, said

Oct 6, 2022

Rival parties call for gov't response to Japan's Fukushima water release plan

Changwon coastal waters inundated with dead herring

Dead herring cover coastal waters near a marine park in Masanhappo District in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Monday. Courtesy of Changwon City GovernmentBy Ko Dong-hwanA massive amount of dead adolescent herring has been found near the coastline of the southeastern port city of Changwon on multiple occasions since last Friday, prompting the city government to launch an investigation.These peculiar incidents in Masan Bay, according to the city government on Monday, started on Sept. 30 when the authority received a report of countless numbers of dead fish floating near a coastal filming site for TV shows in Masanhappo District. The authority received the same report on Oct. 1 and 2 from ports in the Jindong area as well as near a marine park, which are all in Masanhappo as well.The city government in South Gyeongsang Province found it strange that baby fish of one particular species were repeatedly found in different locations. An official from the Maritime, Harbor and Fishery Bureau under the auspices of the city government said the latest case “doesn't look like a typica

Oct 5, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan

Changwon coastal waters inundated with dead herring

INTERVIEW 'Smart ships need smart ports'

Containers are stacked on docks at Busan Port, Korea's biggest seaport, Sept. 13. NewsisItalian maritime economist urges Busan Port to become a hub connecting global ports via 'green shipping corridor' By Ko Dong-hwanBUSAN ― Smart ships need smart ports. That's what Fabio Ballini, an assistant professor at World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden, often says. With the climate crisis encouraging the world to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, more and more attention is shifting towards oceans. Largely unexplored natural resources still remain untapped beneath the seabed ― in potentially gargantuan volumes. With over 70 percent of the Earth's surface covered by water, the amount of international trade occurring via ships exceeds that of trucks and planes.The global freight ecosystem continues pushing shipyards to evolve and meet demands for smarter and more energy-efficient ships that burn less fossil fuel and generate less pollution. Visiting Busan for 2022 Korea Maritime Week and International Maritime High-Level Discussion hosted by the Ministry of Oceans and

Sep 28, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan

[INTERVIEW] 'Smart ships need smart ports'

Millions of pine trees infected with pine wilt disease

This drone picture taken on Sept. 16 shows pine trees in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province that turned brown after getting infected with pine wilt disease. Courtesy of Green Korea United By Lee Hae-rinAn estimated two million pine trees are turning brown after becoming infected with pine wilt disease, according to a local environmental group. The group says that the current damage is close to the levels of 2013 and 2014 when over two million evergreen trees were infected ― if not worse.Environmental group Green Korea United announced Monday that the group had conducted on-site and drone observations across the country since June this year, during which, it discovered over two million pine trees infected with pine wilt disease. The country's southeastern region, which includes the cities of Busan, Pohang and Gyeongju, is the hardest hit by the spread of the disease, the group said. Some of the damaged forests are designated as world heritage and cultural heritage pr

Sep 28, 2022By Lee Hae-rin

Millions of pine trees infected with pine wilt disease

Foul smelling ginkgo nuts prompt Seodaemun District to get smart

Workers from Seodaemun District Office in western Seoul clean up ginkgo nuts from a pavement. Courtesy of Seodaemun District Office By Ko Dong-hwanOne of nature's gifts is trees that bear seasonal fruits that, when ripe, can be hand-picked or sometimes found fallen from the trees. Usually harmless, the fruits offer untainted natural tastes to humans and animals at no costs, a great benefit to farmers relying on selling them and those who appreciate graciousness of Mother Nature.But whenever one sees ginkgo nuts fallen and crushed on the streets and cannot help but grimace at its unpleasant excrement-like odor that follows you wherever you carry crushed bits stuck on the bottom of your shoes, it reminds that not all gifts from the Mother Nature are pretty and sweet but sometimes rather cumbersome and obnoxious.The season has entered fall in Korea, and such uncanny scenes are abound and ubiquitous these days. So are complaints from members of the public who loathe thi

Sep 27, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan

Foul smelling ginkgo nuts prompt Seodaemun District to get smart

New COVID-19 cases hit 11-week low for Thursday amid virus slowdown

Medical workers get ready for work at a COVID-19 testing station in a community health center in Seoul's western district of Seodaemun, Sept. 21. YonhapKorea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest number in nearly three months for a Thursday count, as the virus wave is slowing down at a steady pace. The country reported 33,009 new COVID-19 infections, including 255 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 24,535,940, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The latest tally is down by more than 8,200 from the previous day and the lowest for a Thursday figure since 18,494 recorded on July 7. The virus wave, triggered by the spread of an Omicron variant, has been waning with a steady decline in the infections after a resurgence in July that later peaked above 180,000 cases in mid-August. On Thursday, Korea reported 59 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 28,009. The number of critically ill patients came to 428, down by 66 from Wednesday, the KDCA said. (Yonhap)

Sep 22, 2022

New COVID-19 cases hit 11-week low for Thursday amid virus slowdown

Nuclear energy's inclusion in green taxonomy draws backlash

Cho Hyun-soo, head of the Ministry of Environment's Green Transition Policy Division, announces the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's green taxonomy draft, which includes nuclear energy, at Government Complex Sejong, Tuesday. YonhapBy Lee Hae-rinThe Ministry of Environment's plan to include nuclear energy in the country's list of environmentally sustainable economic activities is facing a backlash from environmentalists who accuse the government of having fallen behind international standards.The environment ministry unveiled a draft of the new green taxonomy, Tuesday, which includes nuclear energy. Green taxonomy is a government classification that lists environmentally sustainable economic activities. It serves as an important selection standard for green investments. For example, businesses that run activities listed in the green taxonomy are eligible for low-interest loans.The ministry said the draft is based on the European Union's taxonomy as well as opinions of the various parties involved in the country, including scholars, civic groups, industrial circles and relevant governmen

Sep 21, 2022By Lee Hae-rin

Nuclear energy's inclusion in green taxonomy draws backlash

Nuclear power included in revised green taxonomy

Nuclear power included in revised green taxonomy

President Yoon Suk-yeol, left, tours a nuclear reactor factory of Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, June 22. Korea Times fileKorea has made it official that nuclear energy will be included in the list of government-labeled green economic activities despite opposition from environmental activists.The environment ministry on Tuesday released a draft revision to the national green taxonomy guideline.The classification system was first announced in December by the previous Moon Jae-in government as an instrument to promote environmentally sustainable investment and help achieve the national carbon neutrality goal.Nine months later, the ministry revised the non-binding guideline to add atomic power generation to the green financing bracket.The so-called K-taxonomy defines whether certain economic activities are environment-friendly or not. Some banks participating in a pilot project provide low-interest loans to activities labeled as green.The system consists of two categories ― truly green sectors and transitional sectors. Various nuclear technologies and

Sep 21, 2022

Nuclear power included in revised green taxonomy

Nuclear energy's inclusion in green taxonomy draws backlash

Temperatures drop suddenly due to cold air from north

This photo shows pedestrians wearing autumn clothes in Jongro, central Seoul. NewsisTemperatures took a sudden dive across the country Tuesday, prompting people to change from summer clothes to autumn clothes.According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the mercury dropped by eight to 13 C from the previous day, as cold air moved here from the north.Tuesday's morning lows ranged from 11-19 C, 2-4 C lower than the 30-year average and 8-13 C lower than the day before, the KMA noted.As of 7 a.m., temperatures had hit 16.2 C in Seoul, 15.5 C in Incheon, 15.9 C in Daejeon, 17.4 C in Gwangju and 18.2 C in Busan, it said, adding the daily highs will reach 19-25 C.People nationwide were caught off guard by the sudden steep fall in temperatures, as a heat wave advisory was in effect in some southern regions only until two days ago.This photo shows ripening persimmons in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, northeastern Korea, Sept 20. YonhapThe weather has changed so much in a matter of several days that people now worry about frost in the mountains instead of unseasonal autumn heat, K

Sep 20, 2022

Environment & Animals