Excessive warmth in the Arctic was triggered by the entry of a strong Atlantic windstorm, a team of South Korean researchers has revealed. According to a study released Thursday by researchers of the Korea Polar Research Institute, the warm and moist air driven to the Arctic by a windstorm named “Frank” is the primary contributing factor of the extremely warm weather in the region. Storm Frank, the worst winter flooding on record in the United Kingdom, left hundreds homeless for two days in late

South Korea unveiled a set of measures on Tuesday to promote renewable energy usage and expand research and development in order to meet the long-term target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent.The plan, approved by the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, is aimed at changing the country's energy structure into a more environmentally friendly power supply system and preparing for the upcoming low-carbon era, according to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.South Kore

Migratory birds visit South Korea from around October as the air begins to grow cool, heralding the change in season. These winged guests come annually from Russia, China and Mongolia, flying without rest for 15 hours per day to spend a “warmer” winter on the peninsula and nurture new life.Their arrival here makes winter prime time for bird-watching, with several spots that are especially popular. These sites are usually near river basins and deltas, where rivers meet the sea.  A flock of migrat

CHEORWON, Gangwon Province -- From October, hundreds of winged guests arrive at Cheorwon, a rural town near the northern border. On a long, arduous journey to southern wintering grounds, about 800 cranes make a stopover at Cheorwon for its some 10,500 hectares of rice fields, which provide abundant food and resting places for them. Kim Su-ho, a local vet for wild birds with over 20 years of experience, says he is able to tell the difference between cranes that have been there before and those vi

Use of disposable cups in South Korea surged to a record-high volume last year mainly due to heavy coffee drinking, government data showed Sunday.The Ministry of Environment said more than 672.4 million disposable cups were used in South Korea last year, up 7.7 percent from the 2014 tally of 624.32 million. The actual amount of single-use cups used here can be much greater than the government tally because the ministry's data was based only on sales from 12 large coffee chains and five fast food

South Korea will resume its policing operations next month to prevent Chinese fishermen from illegally entering neutral waters of the Han River estuary ahead of the peak season for crab fishing, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday. In June, the joint military police unit composed of the Marine Corps personnel and police forces under the approval of the UNC Military armistice commission successfully completed its first round of operations near the Han River to expel Chinese fishermen, th

South Korea's finance minister on Thursday held a meeting with the head of the Green Climate Fund to discuss ways to enhance the country's contribution to the development of the organization, the finance ministry here said."The South Korean government is concerned about the development of the GCF, which is headquartered in our country," Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho was quoted as saying in a meeting with Hela Cheikhrouhou, the executive director of the GCF, in Seoul.South Korea`s Finance Minister Y

When 29-year-old Kim Seo-young heard that tiny plastic pollutants floating in the sea are consumed by fish and may end up on her dinner plate, she did not know it was due to what she uses every day for a face wash.“At first, I thought microbeads meant something like a sparkly type of jewel,” said Kim, adding that she would not be the only one unaware of it.A survey by Greenpeace Korea in June found that 78 percent of 1,000 male and female consumers here were not aware of what microbeads are. (Gr

South Korea's weather agency on Sunday issued a heat wave warning throughout much of the nation, with the temperature of some cities in the central region going above 35 C in the afternoon.The Korea Meteorological Administration said earlier Sunday it has issued a heat wave warning in most parts of the country except Jeju and some coastal areas. The KMA announces a warning when temperatures are likely to stay above 35 C for two consecutive days. In particular, the central region of the country h