| News Search for Pollution Caused
by Korean Companies Just Korea Times from 1998 to Now. 6 negative stories with some specific focus on polluters. These often did not give names of companies. None on biggest chaebol. Several articles (probably about half as much) positive about POSCO and others. Korea Times - 1.1.02 - Now - search term = pollution I did not include articles on USFK or the US in Korea. I also did not spend much time on generic environmental pollution cases like "river X is polluted" or "air in city X is bad". I was looking for articles that named specific cases of pollution. Korea Times - 1.1.00 - 12.31.01 - search term = pollution (not including USFK or foreign company in Korea) Army Base in Ulchin Slammed for Dumping Wastes 04.16.01 (1 Kudo to Green Korea) A Korean army unit previously stationed near a forest reserve in Uljin, Kyongsang-pukto was found to have polluted the environment by illegally dumping waste matter, Green Korea United (GKU), a major environmental group, claimed yesterday. ``The army camp had continuously polluted the area with waste since the 1970s and transferred in December of last year without carrying out suitable clean-up measures,'' GKU said in a statement. GKU said more than 100 tons of various garbage, such as food waste, packaging materials and aluminum cans were found in the forest reserve. ``If waste buried in the ground is included, the total in the area is estimated to amount to more than 1,000 tons,'' they said. Names of 50 Firms Revealed for Pollution 04.06.01 KFEM conducted an assessment of 3,231 violations documented since 1997. Companies that violated environmental regulations on more than five occasions were placed on the blacklist. Textile companies were found to be the main culprits of environment pollution, with nine such firms included in the top 20. The rest broke down to four petrochemical companies, one paper manufacturer, and six others. The biggest offender was Sambang Textiles, of Yangju, Kyonggi-do. The company had received orders to suspend operations and shut down its plant on five occasions during the four-year period. Golf Courses Under Fire for Rising Pesticide Use 03.11.01 (didn't read) Pollutants Found in Industrial Complexes 02.13.01 In the Ulsan petrochemical industrial complex, the levels of benzene and styrene were found to be 10 times higher than other areas, heightening the need for effective measures to curb air pollution in the district. According to the report, the Ulsan complex was found to contain an average of 11.46 parts per billion (PPB) of benzene annually. The figures far exceed the standard levels of England and Japan, which are set at 5 ppb and 0.85 ppb for residential areas, respectively. Styrene was also detected in massive amounts in the Ulsan complex, recording average levels of 11.59 ppb. According to the World Health Organization, the permissible level of styrene is set at a weekly average of 1.5 ppb for residential areas. ``Not only should the government draw up countermeasures for managing the polluted areas, complexes must voluntarily carry out frequent inspections of their manufacturing processes,'' he said. (no names of which companies have factories there or which ones were worse than the others or how the stuff got in the environment --- sources from processes, poor equipment, disregard or whatnot) Military Wastewater Facilities to Be Inspected 10.30.00 (Korean facilities, not USFK) Amid growing concerns of environmental pollution in military units, wastewater treatment facilities installed there will be inspected for the first time in mid-November. Lawmaker Park In-sang of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party had first raised the issue of wastewater management at military units in a parliamentary inspection conducted on Oct. 19. He said that 71.2 percent or 649 of the 912 military units stationed near the Han River are not equipped with treatment facilities, causing water pollution in the area. POSCO Pushing Limits of Pollution-Free Production 09.14.00 (didn't read) 639 Firms Punished for Dumping Pollution Material 09.04.00 A total of 639 businesses, including Cheil Jedang, Asia Paper, Byucksan Paint have been punished for failing to operate proper anti-pollution facilities. The ministry meanwhile took administrative actions against some 258 businesses that were found to be without pollution-fighting facilities, including such penalties as temporary suspension of their business operations a d fines. It also requested the prosecution to bring charges against them for violating the environmental regulations. Among them are Cheil Jedang's pharmaceutical factory in Umsong, Chungchong-pukto, which was accused of letting out 2 square meters of harmful waste into nearby farmland without treating the material, due to a malfunction of the anti-pollution equipment. The factory was ordered to pay 45 million won in fine. It will eventually also face criminal charges. The operation of Byucksan Paint's factory in Pusan was also suspended for 10 days for not running anti-pollution facilities while operating boilers which belch air-contaminating emissions. Asia Paper Mfg. Co. was ordered to stop its operation for 10 days for dumping 100 liters of untreated waste water. Heavy Metal Pollution Reported in Major Seoul Areas 05.25.00 Korea Times - 1998-1999 - search term = pollution (not including USFK or foreign company in Korea) POSCO Symbol of Environmental Soundness 9.29.99 Take your pick. Pohang or Kwangyang. They are just about the same when it comes to how environmentally sound the manufacturing facilities of Pohang Iron and Steel Co. (POSCO) are. Walking through the lush greenery at either of the two steel works, it is difficult to imagine that they are designed to produce the iron and steel or international standards that they do. In fact, because of the many aspects of the two giant plants, like the schools and residential properties for employees and their families, that does not directly have to do with steelmaking, one has to look hard to find the mills. POSCO Making Heavy Investment to Prevent Pollution 12.29.99 Pohang Iron and Steel Co. (POSCO) has consistently been a model in environmental protection and it will be investing a total of 3 trillion won over the next five years for ensuring that its manufacturing activities do not pollute the environment. POSCO to Invest W3 Tril. for Environmental Protection 12.14.99 Pohang Iron and Steel Co. (POSCO) will be investing a total of 3 trillion won over the next five years for ensuring that its manufacturing activities do not pollute the environment. POSCO's chief publicist Yoo Byung-chang said yesterday that an initial 1.02 trillion won will go to environment protection facilities at its steel works. ``Protecting the environment is on the top of our business strategy in the New Millennium and 3 trillion won will be invested before the year 2004,'' he said. 731 Plants Caught for Environment Pollution 08.26.99 (Short article -- 5 sentences long) Among those reprimanded were such large plants as Dongbu Steel, Kia Motors and Taekwang Ind. Officials said 299 were caught for discharging polluted materials in excess of the permissible level and 62 others were discovered not to be operating anti-pollution facilities adequately. GNP Chastises Environment Min. Son for Accepting $20,000 From FKI 06.23.99 The opposition Grand National Party yesterday took Environment Minister Son Sook to task for accepting $20,000 extended by the Federation of Korean Industries. According to a report in a Korean vernacular paper, actress-turned-Cabinet Minister Son took the money after giving a theatrical performance in Russia last month. She was accompanying President Kim Dae-jung on his Russian visit. In response to the report, Minister Son explained she took the money as a ``donation'' to her troupe in the capacity of ``an actress,'' not as a minister saying she delivered the funds to the troupe. Water Contamination Rapidly Worsening 04.13.99 (I won't quote from this short article, but it is typical of what I have seen in the English language news and from the Korean language TV news which I can't understand but at an intermediate level, but I can get a good idea from the scenes and what I understand.... The Korean media does cover pollution, but they don't seem to get around to the pollutors. I have seen news on illegal garbage dumping by businesses and pollution in streams or rivers, but they never seem to show shots of nearby factories or mention the Hyundai or Daewoo or other conglomerates name. Isn't there something wrong with that?) Large Corps. Agree to Cut Carbon Dioxide Emissions 12.18.98 Under the contract involving 11 companies, including Pohang Iron and Steel Co. and Ssangyong Cement, each enterprise is to establish their own goals and implement programs necessary to achieve those goals. As a reward for signing the agreement, the companies will also receive priority in the liberalization of environment-related regulations and benefit from the promotional effects of the program. Kumho Adopts Environment-Friendly Strategy 11.04.98 During recessions like the one Korea is currently experiencing, industrial companies find it increasingly difficult to make the investments necessary to ensure environment-friendly production. But, Kumho Electric has found a way. Although it is undergoing hard times just like many other companies here, Kumho is not about to fund its business by letting the environment pick up the tab. ``It all comes down to moral management. We would like to cut production costs where possible, but not if it adversely affects the environment,'' said company president and CEO Park Young-koo. |
Just articles on USFK and US in
Korea pollution. Italics are for specific cases which is what I concentrated
on finding. This does not include the many articles on SOFA and an
environmental clause, nor other more generic articles on USFK and environmental
problems. 26 articles specific to USFK or the US Embassy. None positive that I noticed. U.S. Embassy to Decontaminate Soil 01.17.03 Oil Contamination Near US Yongsan Compound Serious 12.09.02 Environmental Group Demands Inspection of Oil Leak at US Base 12.06.02 USFK Admits Responsibility for Another Oil Leak in Seoul 10.23.02 DLP Demands USFK Apology for Oil Leak 10.11.02 USFK Admits to Oil Pollution on Base 10.07.02 Oil Leaks From USFK Pipe Network Feared 09.23.02 USFK Admits Polluting Noksapyong Station 05.30.02 Wonju Civic Groups to End 3-Year Protest Against USFK 04.12.02 Farmers to Sue USFK for Oil Leak From Base 12.12.01 [Arrowhead] US Forces in Korea and Environment 09.09.01 [Today's Editorial] Worsening Quality of Employment/Oil Leak From U.S. 08.19.01 USFK Admits Oil Leakage in Yongsan 08.10.01 USFK Apologizes for Oil Leakage From Wonju Base 07.25.01 USFK to be Sued by Environmental Group 07.27.01 Another Oil Leak Discovered Near Camp Long US Base 06.28.01 Local Governments Draft Bill for USFK-Related Damage 06.19.01 USFK Apologizes for Oil Leakage From Wonju Base 07.25.01 Activists Demand Investigation of US Army Base Oil Leakage 05.29.01 'Oil Leaked From US Base Proves Aircraft Fuel' 05.23.01 Another Oil Leaks From US Base 11.24.00 Gov't Probes Pollution at US Base in Inchon 10.25.00 USFK Denies Pollution Charges by Civic Group 10.24.00 'Site of Closed US Camp Is Still Contaminated With Waste Oil' 10.23.00 Korea, USFK to Launch Joint Probe on Alleged Dumping of Waste Oil at U 09.26.00 US Forces in Korea Accused of Polluting River With Waste Oil 09.25.00 2,000 Liters of Diesel Oil Leaked From U.S. Pipeline in Paju 08.29.00 US, Korea to Jointly Conduct Pollution Probe on Shooting Range in Paju 08.10.00 Environment Ministry Seeks Punishment for US Toxic Chemical Discharge 07.14.00 |