S. Korea, China to discuss ways to cut fine dust

The environment ministers of South Korea and China will meet in Beijing this week to discuss concrete plans to reduce fine dust emissions, Seoul’s Environment Ministry said Wednesday.

The meeting between South Korean Environment Minister Yoon Seong-kyu and his Chinese counterpart, Zhou Shengxian, is a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding on South Korea-China environmental cooperation signed during a bilateral summit in July.

Fine dust is defined as particles smaller than 10 micrometers, and if inhaled, it can cause various respiratory diseases and undermine the body’s immune system.

Health concerns have been growing in South Korea due to fine dust particles blowing in from China.

During the ministerial talks, the two countries will discuss details of a project agreed upon in the MOU to help Chinese steelmakers build facilities in their factories to prevent air pollution, using environmental technologies owned by Korean firms and ink a letter of intent to push for the plan, officials said.

In Beijing, Yoon will hold a separate meeting with Chen Zhenggao, minister of housing and urban-rural development, to discuss ways to further cooperation in disposal of urban waste and sewage.

In a related move, the South Korean environment ministry is scheduled to send a delegation to the sixth international expo on green industry set to be held in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, from Friday to Sunday.

Led by Yoon, the delegation consists of some 80 officials from the central government and environment-related firms and organizations, according to the ministry.

Yoon plans to sign three agreements with the governor of the Chinese province under which Korean companies will export technologies to install anti-pollution facilities at three thermal power plants in the province, the ministry said. (Yonhap)