No.150 Policy Measures for Mitigating Fine Particle Pollution in Korea and Suggestions for Expediting International Dialogue in East Asia

The majority of the measurements sites over Republic of Korea place PM2.5 concentrations above the national air quality standard of 25 microgram/m3/year, posing great concerns for the national environment and public health. This particulate matter (PM) pollution is often associated with transboundary transport of air pollutants throughout East Asian countries.

This paper reviews and discusses the Korean government’s policies for mitigating PM pollution, and in particular, recent policies to control PM2.5, including a system introduced by the Korean Ministry of Environment (KMOE).

In addition, I analyze the system and performance of cooperative programs for improving East Asian air quality, considering current approaches by the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET), the Joint Research Project on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollutants in North-East Asia (LTP), the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC), and Tripartite Environment Minister Meeting (TEMM) as the basis for a comparative study, focusing on international coordination, communication, scientific activities, and institutional structure. Based on this analysis, I have generated some recommendations for improving international dialogue on air quality over East Asia.

Keywords: Air pollution policy, East Asia, International cooperation, Korea, Particulate matter