Korea, China and Japan environment chiefs meet in Guangzhou to widen research ties

The environment ministry said Thursday that the head of its National Institute of Environmental Research, Kim Young-woo, is attending a two-day meeting of the directors of South Korea, China and Japan's national environmental science institutes in Guangzhou, China, starting Nov. 5.

The 22nd Tripartite Directors' Meeting of Environmental Research Institutes is being held at the Guangzhou Ecological and Environmental Science Center, bringing together about 40 researchers and officials from the three countries. Also attending are Xi Beidou, president of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, and Yoshito Oshima, director of Japan's National Institute for Environmental Studies.

The first day's session is devoted to integrated ecological and environmental management of bays and river basins, including research cooperation on the marine ecosystem shared by South Korea and China through the Yellow Sea. On the second day, the participants will share progress on tackling climate change and improving air quality, and will discuss risk assessment, priority-setting for management and hazard evaluation of emerging pollutants, including trace hazardous chemicals.

The meeting has been held annually since 2004 and has served as the basis for trilateral research cooperation on Northeast Asian environmental problems such as yellow dust and ultrafine particulate matter.

"This meeting is a place to share the three countries' research results, including on improving air quality in Northeast Asia, and to solidify joint research cooperation," Kim said. He added that the three countries would draw on their research capabilities to step up cooperation on climate change and environmental policy and to improve environmental quality and protect public health in the region.

The meeting was organized by the research strategy and planning division of the National Institute of Environmental Research, led by director Hwang Na-kyung, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said.