The Korean Peninsula will come under the direct influence of Typhoon Halola this weekend, bringing rain, wind gusts and rough surf, South Korea's state weather agency said Saturday. Halola, the 12th typhoon of this year, is marching toward Japan and Korea at the speed of 15 kilometers per hour, according to Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). "It is a small typhoon with the strength of '...

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes commitments by South Korea and China to curb greenhouse gas emissions, his spokesman said Tuesday. Earlier in the day, South Korea offered to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2030 from 850.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, an amount Seoul says it would reach if it let business run as usual. China also committed to halting the ...

South Korea offered to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent by 2030, officials said Tuesday, an ambitious commitment ahead of a crucial global climate conference. The contribution means that South Korea's overall emissions will stand at 535 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2030. That represents a 37 percent cut from 850.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, an amount ...

South Korea will soon begin preparation for permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel, the government said Monday, a move that will include what will likely be an arduous process of selecting where the highly radioactive materials will be buried. The move comes as the Public Engagement Commission on Spent Nuclear Fuel Management submitted its official and final recommendations on how to manage th...

South Korean businesses urged the government Tuesday to lower its reduction target of greenhouse gas emissions, saying the current goal will weaken their competitiveness. The government is in the process of finalizing its long-term commitments to climate change that will require Seoul to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 14 percent from its business-as-usual level by 2030. "Local firm...

The government recommended Friday the state nuclear power operator permanently shut down the nation's oldest reactor when its operational license expires two years later, apparently caving in to strong opposition from residents and environmental groups over its safety. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy advised the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power to close the Kori-1 reactor located in the so...

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...

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 recomm...

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 con...

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, ...

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 ...

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...

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 minist...