Sustainability Korea

Hello and welcome to this ‘grand opening’ of the Sustainability in Korea blog!

I’ve lived in Seoul, South Korea for the last 9 months and sometimes it feels like I’m about as far from greenery, ‘nature’ and the idea of sustainability as it is possible to be. But even in this concrete metropolis there are signs of hope, new (or old) ways of doing things and growing awareness of the need for us all to live more sustainably.

I’ve started this blog in the hope that it will help push me to find out more about what is going on in the ‘world of sustainability’ within Korea, and to share those findings, ideas and information with anyone who might be interested personally or professionally.

South Korea has had an incredible, and difficult, ride over the last 100 years and has undergone rapid industrialised development, going from a very poor country in the 1960s to one of the biggest economies in the world, with lots of hi-tech industries and high standards of education and healthcare. But all of this has taken its toll on the country’s environment, and to some extent on the people too; high suicide rates and low birth rates are blamed by some on the stress of consumerist lifestyles, long working hours and over-emphasis on educational achievement. The government has been keen to promote the idea of Green Growth and has invested in major infrastrucure under this banner, including new ‘smart cities’ like Songdo. It will be interesting to see how this all develops into the future, and I hope to return to all these issues – and many more – in this blog in future.

For now, please enjoy this image of the smog hanging low over the Gangnam district south of the Han river in Seoul. Another take on the phrase ‘Gangnam Style’.