Korea to bolster eco-friendly land development

The Cabinet approved a plan on reinforcing the policy coordination between environmental projects and land development on Tuesday, with the aim of ensuring eco-friendly land management across the country.

The plan was mapped out by a task force comprised of officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport as well as private researchers at the end of 2013.

An official of the Environment Ministry noted that the aim of the law revision was to bolster the links between the law on the land management policy and the law on environment policies when private or state-run enterprises apply for construction projects.

“Sustainable development is the main goal of the enhanced collaboration of the two ministries,” he said. “It could also provide opportunities for environmental advocates and builders to resolve conflicts by sharing a broader range of information.”

Environmental advocates welcomed that the state plan as most of them had denounced the reckless land development policies of the former administration.

The Lee Myung-bak administration’s controversial four-river refurbishment project, which struggled to gain support from politicians and environmentalists, is estimated to have greatly benefited the builders involved. Environmental advocates have continued to raise the claim that “the irrational project has ... undermined water quality.”

An environmental group says that the Environment Ministry should also be held accountable for glossing over the risks of the Lee government’s project.

“The Environment Ministry should regain its credibility through sincere regulation of policies via the new entity,” said the group. “Coming development policies via the close coordination between the two ministries should benefit the public and our descendants.”

An insider in the construction sector said that unnecessary moves by eco advocates had not been helpful for effective land management. He, however, echoed the view that it is time for the builders to more seriously consider sustainable development.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)