Sagot Beach on Baengnyeong Island, 209 kilometers west of Seoul, is covered with garbage and debris in this file photo. (Yonhap)
INCHEON, July 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s northernmost islands in the West Sea, including Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong, are grappling with the issue of trash washing ashore.
According to the Korea Marine Environment Management Corp., Ongjin County in Incheon, which encompasses five islands in the West Sea, collected 2,639 tons of marine waste last year, marking a 47.5 percent increase from 2020.
The corporation reported that a beach on Baengnyeong Island documented 62 pieces of trash in 2020, 657 in 2021, and 956 in the last year.
Of the marine waste discovered in the past three years, 83.5 percent was plastic, with 13.7 percent originating from overseas.
Ongjin County attributes this increase to the surge in plastic usage and a growing influx of trash from China.
Additionally, the marine waste collected from the islands is highly saline, posing challenges for processing it at regular incineration facilities.
The trash must be stored in the island’s warehouse for the long term before being shipped to the mainland for incineration, during which unpleasant odors and other secondary damages may occur.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
