South Korea

=== Environment ===
{{Main|Environment of South Korea|Pollution in South Korea|Climate change in South Korea}}
[[File:CheonggyecheonSeoul.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cheonggyecheon]] river is a modern public recreation space in [[downtown Seoul]]]]

During the first 20 years of South Korea's growth surge, little effort was made to preserve the environment.<ref name="google.com">{{cite web|url=http://www1.american.edu/TED/KORPOLL.HTM |title=Korea Air Pollution Problems |publisher=American University of Washington |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309142227/http://www1.american.edu/TED/KORPOLL.HTM |archive-date=9 March 2010}}</ref> Unchecked industrialization and urban development have resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat.<ref>{{cite news|author=Randolph T. Hester |url=http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_opinion/373552.html |title=Letter to Lee administration: Save the Songdo Tidal Flat |newspaper=[[The Hankyoreh]] |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511181051/http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_opinion/373552.html |archive-date=11 May 2011}}</ref> However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including a government run {{Nowrap|$84 billion}} five-year [[green growth]] project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology.<ref>Wang, Ucilla (28 July 2008 ) [https://web.archive.org/web/20081216145303/http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/south-korea-to-boost-renewable-energy-investments-by-60-1191.html South Korea Boosts Renewable-Energy Investments by 60%]. Greentechmedia.com</ref>

The green-based economic strategy is a comprehensive overhaul of South Korea's economy, utilizing nearly two percent of the national GDP. The greening initiative includes such efforts as a nationwide bike network, solar and wind energy, lowering oil dependent vehicles, backing daylight saving time and extensive usage of environmentally friendly technologies such as LEDs in electronics and lighting.<ref name="South Korea's green new deal">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2009/10/18/eok.lah.greening.korea.cnn?iref=videosearch |title=South Korea's green new deal |work=CNN |date=18 October 2009 |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-date=31 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831124519/http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2009/10/18/eok.lah.greening.korea.cnn?iref=videosearch |url-status=dead }}</ref> The country—one of the world's most wired—plans to build a nationwide next-generation network that will be 10 times faster than broadband facilities, in order to reduce energy usage.<ref name="South Korea's green new deal" />

The [[renewable portfolio standard]] program with [[Renewable Energy Certificate (United States)|renewable energy certificates]] runs from 2012 to 2022.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131205044729/http://www.fuelcellseminar.com/media/5505/kim_10_19_2010.pdf R&D status and prospects on fuel cells in Korea]. fuelcellseminar.com</ref>
Quota systems favor large, vertically integrated generators and multinational electric utilities, if only because certificates are generally denominated in units of one megawatt-hour. They are also more difficult to design and implement than a [[feed-in tariff]].<ref name="wind-works.org">[http://www.wind-works.org/FeedLaws/RenewableEnergyPolicyMechanismsbyPaulGipe.pdf Renewable Energy Policy Mechanisms by Paul Gipe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510072741/http://www.wind-works.org/FeedLaws/RenewableEnergyPolicyMechanismsbyPaulGipe.pdf |date=10 May 2012 }} (1.3MB)<br />Lauber, V. (2004). "REFIT and RPS: Options for a harmonized Community framework", ''Energy Policy'', Vol. 32, Issue 12, pp. 1405–1414.<br />Lauber, V. (2008). "Certificate Trading – Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?"
Ljubljana Conference on the Future of GHG Emissions Trading in the EU, March 2008. Salzburg, Austria: University of Salzburg. Retrieved 16 March 2009, at www.uni-salzburg.at/politikwissenschaft/lauber</ref> Around 350 residential [[micro combined heat and power]] units were installed in 2012.<ref>[http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1713685/fct_review_2012.pdf The fuel cell industry review 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701231144/http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1713685/fct_review_2012.pdf |date=1 July 2016 }}. fuelcelltoday.com.</ref> In 2017, South Korea was the world's seventh largest emitter of carbon emissions and the fifth largest emitter per capita. President Moon Jae-in pledged to reduce [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas emissions]] to zero in 2050.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cha|first=Josh Smith, Sangmi|date=8 June 2020|title=Jobs come first in South Korea's ambitious 'Green New Deal' climate plan|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-environment-newdeal-analys-idUSKBN23F0SV|access-date=29 September 2020|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921065008/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-environment-newdeal-analys-idUSKBN23F0SV|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=8 September 2020|title=Moon vows to shut down 30 more coal plants to bring cleaner air and battle climate change|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200908000676|access-date=29 September 2020|website=[[The Korea Herald]]|language=en|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928142514/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200908000676|url-status=live}}</ref>

Seoul's [[tap water]] recently became safe to drink, with city officials branding it "[[Arisu]]" in a bid to convince the public.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.newsworld.co.kr/cont/0609/42.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070928220932/http://www.newsworld.co.kr/cont/0609/42.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date= 28 September 2007|title=Seoul City holds second Arisu Festival to show tap water is safe to drink|publisher=Newsworld}}</ref> Efforts have also been made with [[afforestation]] projects. Another multibillion-dollar project was the restoration of [[Cheonggyecheon]], a stream running through [[downtown Seoul]] that had earlier been paved over by a motorway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.seoul.go.kr/gover/initiatives/inti_02cheon.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215093221/http://english.seoul.go.kr/gover/initiatives/inti_02cheon.htm|url-status=dead|title=Seoul Metropolitan Government&nbsp;– "A Clean, Attractive & Global City, Seoul!"|archive-date=15 February 2009}}</ref> One major challenge is air quality, with acid rain, sulfur oxides, and annual yellow dust storms being particular problems.<ref name="google.com" /> It is acknowledged that many of these difficulties are a result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter.<ref name="google.com" /> South Korea had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 6.02/10, ranking it 87th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>

South Korea is a member of the [[Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty|Antarctic-Environmental Protocol]], [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]], [[Convention on Biological Diversity|Biodiversity Treaty]], [[Kyoto Protocol]] (forming the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), regarding [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|UNFCCC]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/parties/negotiating_groups/items/2714.php |title=Party Groupings |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |date=28 November 2007 |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605182740/http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/parties/negotiating_groups/items/2714.php |archive-date=5 June 2013}}</ref> with Mexico and Switzerland), [[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]], [[CITES|Endangered Species]], [[Environmental Modification Convention|Environmental Modification]], [[Basel Convention|Hazardous Wastes]], [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|Law of the Sea]], [[Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft|Marine Dumping]], [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]] (not into force), [[Montreal Protocol|Ozone Layer Protection]], [[MARPOL 73/78|Ship Pollution]], [[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983|Tropical Timber 83]], [[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994|Tropical Timber 94]], [[Ramsar Convention|Wetlands]], and [[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling|Whaling]].<ref name="CIA">{{CIA World Factbook}}</ref>