H. Yoo
Research expert covering South Korea
Environmental management in South Korea - statistics & facts
Covering areas from water conservation to air and ground pollution and restoration, interest in environmental management has naturally increased in line with concerns about the current state of the planet. In South Korea, the main question in this field is whether it can recover from the ecological damage done by the country’s quick development in the last 60 years or, at the very least, reduce further harm. Attitudes toward environmental protection, management, and remediation have generally been leaning toward that of conservation. For the past couple of years, many people have become more aware of the urgency of climate change and conservation, if not for the sake of future generations.
The state of environmental management in South Korea
Certain aspects of environmental management at an infrastructural level are considered impressive by global standards. For example, in waste management, and particularly food management, waste is meticulously processed to prevent further soil and groundwater contamination. Innovative technology has allowed the country to harness renewable energy sources, albeit smaller than ideal in scale. Among the public, there seems to be a general conscientiousness regarding how future generations will experience the natural environment of the country they have grown up in, mainly whether their children will have the opportunity to experience them to the same degree that they had. As such, there is now a consensus for the need to change policy and laws towards protecting the environment and possibly rectifying the damage done.Investment into environmental protection
The South Korean government has put considerable expenditure towards protecting the environment. However, with every presidential term and each swing of the political spectrum within the cabinet, environmental policy seems to alternate between more radical and conservative changes, making long-term impact hard to discern. Companies are now also starting to recognize the need to act, if not because of a growing customer base more conscientious about the negative impact of their own consumerism.Generational divide on policy priorities
As industry-based pollution and emissions tend to be the highest and seemingly most adjustable, some companies have stepped forward to either offset or prevent worsening their own emissions. However, the plight of future economic opportunities for younger generations may clash with the country’s aging demographic regarding environmental policy due to fears that environmental protection measures may hinder economically efficient policies. Whether South Korea can work toward having a more sustainable environment where economic opportunities can thrive is thus also dependent on the ability to find a balance between the two.
