South Korea on Thursday unveiled four different targets for an emissions reduction by 2030, which critics say would backtrack from its previous commitments. The Ministry of Environment said it would choose one from among the four options before the country submits it to the United Nations later this month. National goals will be evaluated for a new global climate change pact to be adopted at a U.N. conference in Paris in December. Korea‘s new proposals call for a reduction by 14.7 percent, 19.2

South Korea should start preparing for permanent disposal of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel by picking the site for a proving ground and interim storage by at least 2020, a public debate commission said Thursday.  The Public Engagement Commission on Spent Nuclear Fuel Management also recommended the country begin permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel by 2051.  "The commission has recommended that spent nuclear fuel that is currently stored in temporary storage facilities be moved to sa

South Korea plans to soon finalize its long-term commitments to climate change that will require Seoul to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 14 percent from its business-as-usual level by 2030, the government said Thursday.  The government plans to set the country's final reduction target after public surveys and debates, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. A report containing the country's voluntary commitments will be submitted to the United Nations before the end of

Nine out of 10 elementary school students think that environment pollution is serious, a survey showed Tuesday.　An at-home learning program provider “i-Scream Home-Learn” conducted a survey on 22,059 elementary school students on their perception toward the value of the environment.Of the respondents, 93 percent said the level of pollution was at a serious stage.Only 1,600, or 7 percent, said that the pollution was not worrisome. The survey was conducted on the occasion of the 20th Environment D

South Korea urged China Thursday to take "strong and effective" measures against its fishing ships illegally operating near the inter-Korean sea border.  Often appearing in the crab-rich waters around the Yellow Sea border between the two Koreas, Chinese fishing vessels are a constant problem for South Korean officials.  Such an illicit act by Chinese fishermen not only threatens the livelihoods of their local counterparts, especially during the ongoing crab-fishing season, but also further rais

A major business lobby in South Korea called on the government Wednesday to lower its reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions, saying that it is "impossible" to achieve.The government earlier proposed cutting greenhouse gas emission by 30 percent from business-as-usual levels by 2020. It plans to submit its greenhouse gas emission target to the United Nations soon ahead of the launch of a new climate regime after 2020."Since the government's emission target is in effect impossible to achie

Environmental ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will hold three-way talks later this week to tackle yellow dust, smog and maritime pollution, a South Korean diplomat said Monday.   South Korean Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu and his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Chen Jining and Yoshio Mochizuki, will meet in the Chinese hub of Shanghai on Thursday.   Also, on Wednesday, the ministers will hold one-on-one meetings, the diplomat said on the condition of anonymity because she was

South Korea Wednesday struck a deal with the United States for the start of full-fledged research into a new technique for spent nuclear fuel recycling that could greatly reduce concerns over storage shortage.Seoul also opened the way to produce low-enriched uranium, a boost to its pursuit of a stable supply of nuclear fuel.After more than four years of negotiations, the two sides struck a 21-point deal that calls for bilateral cooperation based on the "principles of equality and reciprocity." a

South Korea will invest over 1.8 trillion won ($1.66 billion) this year to help boost the clean and renewable energy sector with the related market expected to be worth some 4.6 trillion won by 2017, the government said Wednesday.Under the new measures, approved at an economic ministers' meeting Wednesday, the government will spend 430 billion won in 2015 alone to develop key technologies, such as those related to bioenergy, fuel cells and carbon capture sequestration, according to the Ministry

A global water forum kicked off for a six-day run in this southeastern city on Sunday to explore ways to cope with water shortages and other related problems, organizers said.  The World Water Forum, the seventh of its kind, brings together about 1,800 political leaders, businesspeople and activists from around the world under the theme of "Water for Our Future," according to the organizers.  The triennial event, held since 1997, provides a platform of discourse for world leaders, experts, busin

President Park Geun-hye said Thursday that a new innovation center in southeast South Korea could play a leading role in addressing the global water crisis.  South Korea has emerged as a powerhouse in the water treatment and desalination sector at a time when desalination is hailed as a promising industry amid global water shortages.  The innovation center will "play a leading role in solving the global water problem" based on the desalination technology, Park said in the opening ceremony of the

President Park Geun-hye on Sunday called on people on Arbor Day to join forces in times of difficulty, noting South Korea's successful forestation projects decades ago.Park said the forestation projects in the 1960s and 70s became successful as many people joined together for a long period of time.She made the comment after planting South Korea's national flower Mugunghwa, the rose of Sharon, in an Arbor Day ceremony at the garden of the presidential compound.South Korea, once one of the world's

The environment ministry said Wednesday it will conduct an ecological survey of the nation's four major rivers by 2016 to address various problems revealed last year with the previous administration's controversial project to revitalize them.  A signature project of the former President Lee Myung-bak government, the 22 trillion won ($22 billion) project to refurbish the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan rivers ended in 2013 with no apparent upsides on flood prevention, water quality and ecosystems

The chief of the main opposition party on Tuesday expressed strong opposition to extending the life span of an aged nuclear reactor, saying the government should demonstrate its sincerity about improving public safety.  The remarks by Moon Jae-in, chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, came two days before the nation's nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, is scheduled to discuss the issue of whether to restart the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor.  The 678-megawat