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South Korea to Enact Climate Adaptation Law, Deploy AI to Predict Floods and Extreme Weather

South Korea to Enact Climate Adaptation Law, Deploy AI to Predict Floods and Extreme Weather

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s government plans to enact a sweeping Climate Adaptation Act next year and expand the use of artificial intelligence to forecast floods, road icing and wildfires, as it steps up preparations for intensifying climate risks, officials said Tuesday. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said the Fourth National [...]

Korea Relaxes Waste Import Insurance Requirements to Boost Recycling

Korea Relaxes Waste Import Insurance Requirements to Boost Recycling

SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Korea Bizwire) —  South Korea will exempt a wider range of low-risk recyclable materials from mandatory import insurance requirements, a move aimed at securing recycling inputs and accelerating the country’s transition to a circular economy, the government said Monday. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that it will revise enforcement [...]

Nation Sets First Legal Standard for Protecting Climate-Vulnerable Populations

Nation Sets First Legal Standard for Protecting Climate-Vulnerable Populations

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s National Assembly took a major step toward expanding climate protections on Thursday, approving a bill that formally defines “climate-vulnerable populations” and requires the government to prioritize their safety in national climate policy. The Special Committee on the Climate Crisis passed a bipartisan amendment to the country’s Carbon Neutrality [...]

Cafés to Charge for Plastic Cups Under Korea’s New Anti-Plastic Strategy

Cafés to Charge for Plastic Cups Under Korea’s New Anti-Plastic Strategy

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to ban the free distribution of disposable plastic cups and phase out large paper cups at major cafés as part of a sweeping anti-plastic initiative set to be unveiled next week. The Climate and Environment Ministry said on Wednesday that its forthcoming “Comprehensive Anti-Plastic Strategy,” to be [...]

Korea Looks to Heat Pumps to Cut Carbon Emissions by 5 Million Tons

Korea Looks to Heat Pumps to Cut Carbon Emissions by 5 Million Tons

SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — The government aims to distribute 3.5 million eco-friendly heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in the country by 2035 as part of efforts to tackle climate change, officials said Tuesday. With the distribution of the systems, also known as heat pumps, the government expects to cut greenhouse gas [...]

Industry Groups Warn of ₩27 Trillion Carbon-Credit Burden Under New Emissions Plan; Government Disputes Estimate

Industry Groups Warn of ₩27 Trillion Carbon-Credit Burden Under New Emissions Plan; Government Disputes Estimate

SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s major business lobby warned that companies may face nearly 27 trillion won (US$20.4 billion) in carbon-credit purchasing costs over the next five years under the government’s newly announced emissions trading allocation plan. The climate ministry swiftly rejected the estimate, calling it an exaggerated projection based on flawed assumptions. [...]

Ahead of COP30, Seoul Adopts Stronger Carbon Reduction Pledge

Ahead of COP30, Seoul Adopts Stronger Carbon Reduction Pledge

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Korea Bizwire) —  A presidential commission said Monday it has approved a goal to reduce South Korea’s greenhouse gas emissions by 53-61 percent from 2018 levels by 2035 in a bid to accelerate the transition to carbon neutrality while enhancing industrial competitiveness. The Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth said [...]

Tropical Mosquito Species Found in Korea for First Time, Raising Climate-Linked Health Concerns

Tropical Mosquito Species Found in Korea for First Time, Raising Climate-Linked Health Concerns

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean health authorities have confirmed the discovery of a tropical mosquito species capable of transmitting infectious diseases such as West Nile fever, marking the first verified presence of the insect in the country and heightening concerns about climate-related shifts in disease vectors. According to the Korea Disease Control and [...]

Chungnam to Build Eco-Friendly Recycling Plant Turning River Debris into Wood Pellets

Chungnam to Build Eco-Friendly Recycling Plant Turning River Debris into Wood Pellets

HONGSEONG, Oct. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Chungcheong Province will build an eco-friendly recycling facility in Seocheon to convert massive amounts of driftwood and debris washed down the Geum River each summer into renewable wood pellets, officials said Thursday. The new center, to be located in the Janghang National Ecological Industrial Complex, aims to establish a [...]

South Korea Ranks Low Among ASEAN+3 in Climate Finance Response, Report Finds

South Korea Ranks Low Among ASEAN+3 in Climate Finance Response, Report Finds

SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s central bank and financial regulator have received below-average marks for their response to the climate crisis, ranking in the lower tier among ASEAN+3 economies, according to a new international assessment. The report by Positive Money, a U.K.-based think tank, evaluated 13 countries in the ASEAN+3 group — comprising [...]