The Korea Herald

First foot-and-mouth disease contracted in 8 months

Jan 12, 2016

The animal quarantine authorities of the Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday confirmed the first breakout of foot-and-mouth disease in eight months, vowing stronger watch on the spread of the livestock disease. The Agriculture Ministry dispatched specialists to a farm in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, where 700 pigs were tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, or QIA, said the 700 pigs at a farm in Gimje, North Jeolla Province, tested pos
Seoul city to revitalize Seochon

Jan 6, 2016

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday it will embark on projects to restore and beautify a neighborhood of traditional Korean houses in central Seoul.The city government plans to build historic cultural streets in Seochon, or "western village," which stretches out from the western wing of Gyeongbok Palace and stretches all the way up to the base of Mount Inwang.The plan is to enlarge the pedestrian passages from 1 meter to 4 meters, repave roads and restrict building heights in the ar
Korea unveils 2nd phase of climate change measures

Dec 23, 2015

The Seoul government on Wednesday released the second phase of its climate change adaptation measures for the next five years, aimed to reduce potential climate change risks and better protect the public health.The Environment Ministry released the measures set up in four categories -- technology, public health, industry and nature. The measures will be implemented starting from next year. Fine dust adds to the smog in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)The first long-term plan was la
Beijing issues 2nd smog red alert

Dec 18, 2015

The Chinese capital city of Beijing issued its second-ever red alert for dangerous acrid smog as it urged citizens to stay indoors, China's state media reported Friday.The red alert, the most serious warning for air pollution, forecast that severe smog will blanket Beijing for three days starting Saturday morning. Beijing, notorious for its severe air pollution, issued its first-ever smog red alert earlier this month, closing schools and curbing production at factories. China regularly sees haza
Korea's sea level up 10 cm in 40 years: data

Dec 16, 2015

The sea level around South Korea has risen about 10 centimeters in the last 40 years, a clear sign of global warming impacting the environment, the country's hydrographic administration said Wednesday. According to the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration, which has kept tabs on mean sea levels over the years, the rise is linked to the melting polar ice caps, blamed on the warming of water temperatures. The organization added that natural erosion by waves and wind and the develop
More potential victims of humidifier disinfectants reported

Dec 15, 2015

Hundreds of more potential victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants were reported over the past month amid concerns over the government’s move to stop receiving health damage reports from next year, a civic group said Tuesday.The Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health said a total of 310 potential victims made health complaints to the Environment Ministry to join the third round of the public health investigation into the humidifier disinfectant impacts. Of them, 38 were reported by
Korea expected to speed up green drives for Paris deal

Dec 13, 2015

South Korea is expected to beef up its anticarbon moves in order to meet the targets of the Paris agreement approved by the global community Saturday. Envoys of 195 countries made a historical accord in Paris to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, which experts consider the threshold for catastrophic climate change.As part of efforts to scale up the countries’ commitment, their pledges will be reviewed every five years from 2023 under the agreement, officials said. In an effort to j
UN officials warn of climate disaster if Paris pact fails

Dec 7, 2015

LE BOURGET, France (AP) – Talks on a universal climate pact shifted to a higher gear Monday with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging governments to set off an ``energy revolution'' to rein in heat-trapping carbon emissions and avert disastrous global warming.Foreign and environment ministers joined the talks outside Paris after lower-level negotiators who met last week delivered a draft agreement with all crunch issues left unresolved.Warning that ``the clock is ticking towards climate cat
Korea confirms VW emissions rigging, suspends sales

Nov 26, 2015

Environment Ministry orders recall, fines German carmaker
World must 'look beyond national horizons' for climate deal: U.N. chief

Nov 26, 2015

World leaders must "look beyond national horizons" to secure a "meaningful climate agreement" at U.N. talks in Paris next week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday. More than 120 heads of state and government, including South Korean President Park Geun-hye and U.S. President Barack Obama, will attend the climate conference with the hope of producing concrete steps against global warming. "A meaningful climate agreement in Paris will build a better today and tomorrow," Ban said i
Korea, China, Japan to intensify fight against yellow dust

Nov 23, 2015

South Korea, China and Japan have agreed to strengthen a joint research project to combat yellow dust originating in China's northern provinces, a local environmental research body said Monday. The three countries have decided to increase the number of monitoring stations and the period of analysis starting next year, during the 18th Expert Meeting on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollutants in Northeast Asia held last week, the National Institute of Environmental Research said. In South Korea,
Korea, Canada agree to cooperation on climate change

Nov 19, 2015

President Park Geun-hye and her Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau agreed Wednesday to closely cooperate on how to cope with challenges posed by climate change.The consensus was reached in their meeting on the sidelines of an annual summit of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Philippines. It came just two weeks before Park, Trudeau and leaders around the world are to meet in Paris to try to produce a new legally binding deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are to blame for global
Korean plane flies back due to heavy smog in China

Nov 11, 2015

A passenger jet of a South Korean low-cost carrier bound for China's northeastern city of Harbin has flown back home due to the record heavy smog in China, the company said Wednesday.The ZE861 plane of Eastar Jet Co., carrying 144 passengers, took off at 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday but returned to Cheongju International Airport at 9:40 p.m. on the same day. "The smog near the airport in Harbin was so heavy that the plane could not make a landing," a company official said. "The plane made a temporary la
Koreans less concerned about climate change than five years ago: U.S. survey

Nov 10, 2015

South Koreans are less concerned about climate change now than they were five years ago, though nearly 90 percent of them think the global challenge will affect them personally at some point in the future, a U.S. survey showed Monday.The Pew Research survey of 45,435 people in 40 countries around the world showed that 48 percent of the South Korean respondents believe that climate change is a very serious problem, a sharp drop compared with 68 percent who thought the same way in 2010.South Korea
World in 'uncharted territory' as greenhouse gases hit new high: UN

Nov 9, 2015

GENEVA (AFP) – Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit a new high in 2014, the UN said Monday, warning the resulting climate change was moving the world into "uncharted territory".In its annual report on Earth-warming greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the World Meteorological Organization said concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide once again broke records last year."Concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are no