South Korea Wednesday struck a deal with the United States for the start of full-fledged research into a new technique for spent nuclear fuel recycling that could greatly reduce concerns over storage shortage. Seoul also opened the way to produce low-enriched uranium, a boost to its pursuit of a stable supply of nuclear fuel. After more than four years of negotiations, the two sides struck a 21...

South Korea will invest over 1.8 trillion won ($1.66 billion) this year to help boost the clean and renewable energy sector with the related market expected to be worth some 4.6 trillion won by 2017, the government said Wednesday. Under the new measures, approved at an economic ministers' meeting Wednesday, the government will spend 430 billion won in 2015 alone to develop key technologies, such...

A global water forum kicked off for a six-day run in this southeastern city on Sunday to explore ways to cope with water shortages and other related problems, organizers said. The World Water Forum, the seventh of its kind, brings together about 1,800 political leaders, businesspeople and activists from around the world under the theme of "Water for Our Future," according to the organizers. The...

President Park Geun-hye said Thursday that a new innovation center in southeast South Korea could play a leading role in addressing the global water crisis. South Korea has emerged as a powerhouse in the water treatment and desalination sector at a time when desalination is hailed as a promising industry amid global water shortages. The innovation center will "play a leading role in solving the...

President Park Geun-hye on Sunday called on people on Arbor Day to join forces in times of difficulty, noting South Korea's successful forestation projects decades ago. Park said the forestation projects in the 1960s and 70s became successful as many people joined together for a long period of time. She made the comment after planting South Korea's national flower Mugunghwa, the rose of Sharon,...

The environment ministry said Wednesday it will conduct an ecological survey of the nation's four major rivers by 2016 to address various problems revealed last year with the previous administration's controversial project to revitalize them. A signature project of the former President Lee Myung-bak government, the 22 trillion won ($22 billion) project to refurbish the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeo...

The chief of the main opposition party on Tuesday expressed strong opposition to extending the life span of an aged nuclear reactor, saying the government should demonstrate its sincerity about improving public safety. The remarks by Moon Jae-in, chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, came two days before the nation's nuclear watchdog, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, is...

The worst winter seasonal yellow dust in five years blanketed the Korean Peninsula on Monday, prompting the authorities to issue health warnings against the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, yellow dust warnings were issued at 10 a.m. in Incheon, Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and part of Gangwon Province with dust advisories in place for most...

The year's worst yellow dust hit much of the nation Sunday, prompting the authorities to issue health warnings against the sandy, chemical-laden wind from China. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued yellow dust advisories in Seoul and 16 cities and counties in its surrounding Gyeonggi Province at 5 p.m. for the first time this year. The advisories were heightened to dust warnings as o...

A total of 51 earthquakes struck the Korean Peninsula last year, with the strongest temblor measuring 5.1 in magnitude, the government said Sunday. Last year's tally is slightly under the annual average of 52.9 quakes for the 10 years since 2005, according to the Ministry of Public Safety and Security. The 5.1-magnitude earthquake, which was reported in waters about 100 kilometers northwest of ...

South Korea's carbon emission market was quiet on the first day of trading on Monday, with the initial price for allowances rising to a level similar to that of the European carbon exchange. The Korea Exchange began the national cap-and-trade system to join the government's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below business-as-usual (BAU) levels over the next five years. A to...

A total of 49 earthquakes with a magnitude 2.0 or greater struck the Korean Peninsula last year, with the strongest temblor measuring 5.1 in magnitude, the state weather agency said Thursday. Last year's tally is slightly higher than the annual average of 47.7 quakes between 1999 and 2013, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. Eight of the quakes recorded last year had a magnitude...

Countries in Northeast Asia should beef up energy cooperation in a bid to bring peace and security to the region where a lack of trust has intensified geopolitical conflicts, a ranking Seoul diplomat said Friday. Speaking at a forum on energy security in Seoul, Ahn Chong-ghee, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, said Northeast Asia, highly dependent on overseas energy imports, faces gr...

Greenpeace International claimed Wednesday that a defective nickel-based alloy has been in use in core parts of South Korean nuclear power plants, exposing the country to the risk of massive leaks of radioactive water from the plants. "Inconel-600" is currently in use at 14 local nuclear reactors throughout the United States, but various other countries stopped using it four decades ago due to t...

South Korea seeks to reduce its use of energy by 4.1 percent from its business-as-usual (BAU) level in 2017 that will also help cut its greenhouse gas emissions, the government said Tuesday. Under a new five-year plan affecting the 2013-2017 period, the government will seek to keep the annual growth of the country's total energy use under 1 percent, which will help reduce the country's overall u...