Korea, South

At the end of World War II, the Allied victors released Korea from Japanese occupation. With Soviet troops in the northern half of the peninsula, and U.S. troops occupying the south, the onset of the Cold War resulted in the division of the country into two separate states, North Korea and South Korea. After an invasion by the north, thwarted with U.S. and United Nation (UN) forces, the armistice [Page 991]of 1953 established the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with a northern border along the 38th parallel. Through close government and business cooperation and strategic planning, over the last several decades, South Korea has transformed itself from one of the poorest economies in the world to a trillion-dollar economy. With a per capita income of $20,400, South Korea is now the 51st richest country in the world. The UN Development Program (UNDP) Human Development Reports rank South Korea 28th in the world in overall quality-of-life issues.

South Korea is located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. Bordering on the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, the country has a coastline of 1,496 miles. The climate is temperate. Rain tends to be heavier in winter months. The terrain is mostly hilly and mountainous except in the west and south, which is composed of wide coastal plains. South Korea is subject to occasional typhoons with accompanying winds and floods, and there is lowlevel seismic activity in the southwest.

A period of environmental degradation accompanied South Korea's rapid economic growth, and over 80 percent of the population of 48,423,000 live in urban areas. With 205 cars per 1,000 people, South Korea produces 1.9 percent of the world's share of carbon dioxide emissions. The discharge of untreated or improperly treated sewage and industrial effluents into water resources have resulted in extensive water pollution, which has adversely affected rice farming. Skin diseases have surfaced in a number of areas in response to contact with polluted water. Drift net fishing is likewise creating hazards. Eight percent of the population lack access to safe drinking water.

More than 60 percent of the land in South Korea is forested, but acid rain has damaged many areas. The government has protected 6.9 percent of the land area. Of 49 mammal species endemic to South Korea, 13 are endangered. Of 138 endemic bird species, 25 are likewise threatened with extinction. In 2006, scientists at Yale University ranked South Korea 42nd of 132 nations on environmental performance, below the relevant income group but well above the relevant geographic group. The lowest rankings were received in the categories of air quality, the production of natural resources, and biodiversity and habitat.

The Minister of Environment is responsible for oversight and implementation of a body of environmental laws and regulations that were passed from the late 1960s through the 1990s. The Asian financial crises of 1997 and 1998 created a setback in South Korean environmentalism, forcing the government to postpone its Long-Term Development Plan and divert [Page 992]funds intended for the environment to economic recovery. However, existing environmental laws and regulations combined with strict enforcement have led to a decrease in emissions of sulfur dioxide and other air pollutants. Unfortunately, high levels of carbon dioxide emissions have somewhat offset this gain. As a result, government incentives have been instituted to deal with this problem. It has been predicted that over the coming decades, increasing levels of coal consumption used to generate electricity will substantially increase air pollution in South Korea.

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