South
Korea’s concern for the environment and its economic ability to compete with
the world is very important to them. Their concern for economic and
environmental stability makes them stay ahead of the global market. Their natural
resources have helped them stay ahead. Their strong work habits start from the
beginning of their existence. The 1950’s Korean War was a horrible war that
devastated the Korean Peninsula. The war killed two million people and nothing
was resolved. A high razor, chain-link fence separates South and North Korea.
Korea has four distinct seasons with cold winters and warm summers. The Indian
and Pacific Ocean gives off strong winds and sometimes when the weather gets
extreme the weather can make horrible storms called monsoons that can affect
the whole country. South Korea’s largest city is its capital, Seoul, which has
a population of more than 10 million. The Republic of Korea is a young nation
that has transformed since 1948. Its people have had much turmoil from wars and
dictators. Today, their constitution has a three branch government with
elections and independence. (McNair, “South Korea”)
South
Korea’s agriculture is filled with farming, ranching, forestry and fisheries.
They raise chicken and beef with mostly natural ingredients. Their main crop is
rice. There is major demand for rice. They also produce wheat and barley.
South
Koreans have moved from rural areas to big cities, creating an
industrialized country trading with global markets. However; disease,
wastes and pollution haves doubled with all these new innovations. South Korea
knows that their environment and the health of their people are very
important. South Korea’s economic footprint was high and the country knew
their wasteful habits had to change. The country now uses a lot of organic
material when building, cooking and making materials. They believe that
when you over-consume as a nation too much poisons get released into the
environment. South Korea uses eco-friendly ideas by using automated bins,
rooftop farms, and underground mushroom-growing farms. These are some ways
South Korea goes “Green” and “Clean” in their country. (McNair, “South Korea”)
South
Koreans are constantly looking at the
United States to see how to improve their Eco-Footprint. The United
States has the most landfill emissions of any other country. The United States
releases too much methane into the atmosphere. South Korea uses the United
States as a benchmark and tries to reduce its greenhouse gas pollution. South
Korea tries to help clean up the mess by reducing pollution and harmful
gases.
Some
Koreans were so against pollution that they created a movement called a
“Greener World”. They also made a movement called “Korea Zero Waste Movement
Network”. Koreans were lying down in the streets to stop garbage trucks
entering landfills. This movement started in Seoul. Another way South
Koreans used their “Waste Movement Network” was to ban plastic bags; this
program started in 2018. The country estimates the economic benefit of these
policies will reach billions of dollars. (McNair, South Korea)
Composting Lifestyle
Composting Lifestyle
Korean
living is also modeled in eco-friendly ways. They use separate containers for
items in their house. They separate each and every thing. Korean’s also
believe in composites for food scraps and other materials. Canisters for
oil and fats are also seen in most Korean homes. These simple solutions have
saved thousands of dollars for most South Koreans. Thirteen thousand tons
of food waste produced daily in South Korea has now become useful material. For
example, it’s turned into compost (thirty per cent), animal feed (sixty per
cent), or biofuel (ten per cent). (McNair, “South Korea”)
South
Korea has achieved much success and many countries are envious of their
commitment to the environment and economic success. When foreigners come to
Korea they often ask “How did South Korea achieve this success?” Many international
companies see the commitment of South Koreans and their hard work.
Many
of the organics-recycling bins in Seoul have the capacity to transform waste
into compost, which can then be distributed to urban farms, sometimes in the
same apartment complex. In the past decade, the number of such farms in Seoul
have increased from sixty-six to more than two thousand. Mandatory organics
recycling plants have saved the country money. Sanitation trucks would have
picked up high amount of garbage full of sodium that would end up in their
landfills. Now they use organic materials to break down their garbage.
(Somerville, “South Korea”)
Earlier
efforts to reduce food waste included such government campaigns as “No
Left-Overs Day,” in the nineteen-nineties. But a real shift in food waste would
mean changing the notion of what constitutes a great meal. Some restaurants
describe the traditional Korean meal as a three-, five-, seven-, nine-, or
twelve-chop meal, referring to the number of banchan. Others counter that
thinking of the Korean meal that way is a modern invention. A small group of
restaurateurs said “We’ll charge for banchan, but serve banchan of a quality
that people will actually eat,” This type of message shows the South Koreans
are not in small businesses just to make money but to give back to their
community. South Koreans want to make their customers happy with good food and
use local farmers. In the last five years South Korea sentiment of food has
changed. (Somerville, “South Korea”)
Samsung
is always working on efficient appliances that help the environment. Many
companies also offer incentive programs that help their community when
recycling and using efficient appliances. Samsung and South Korea’s government
made a slogan that using tap water is cool. When the government decided
to reduce the purchase of bottled water, it promoted tap water as healthy and
refreshing. South Koreans also promoted that their water has history from the
ancient culture. (McNair, “South Korea”)
The
future for South Korea has been strong since the Korean War. South
Korea’s GDP has doubled since the 20th century. Last year a middle
class family made $35,277 a year. Now, it has gone up to $46,988. The
living standards for most Koreans have improved and the nation is focused on
building policies, the environment, and their people.
Even
though South Korea is improving there are always some struggles. Such as, their
population is aging rapidly and their birth rate has declined. Also, the
pressure to be competitive puts a lot of stress on their people. The suicide
rate is very high among young people. There is also a large number of
people that have drinking issues. Many school aged children that got surveyed
said they have a lot of stress and mental issues. Yet South Korea continues to
create ways to care about their people and country. (McNair, South Korea).
Works Cited
McNair,
Sylvia. South Korea. “Enchantment of the World”. Library of Congress in
Publication Division. 2017.
Somerville,
Barbara. South Korea. “The Stepping-Stone into South Korea”. Children’s
Press and Scholastic Inc. 2016.
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