The city of Seoul and the Jung-gu district office are planning to build an underground garbage disposal site near Namdaemun. Business owners and heritage advocates are concerned about the plan, since it places the underground dump site, and its above-ground chute and elevator, in front of Namdaemun Market and 40 metres from the historic gate. The city argues that this is the most practical way to deal with waste from the market and that the plan was approved by the Cultural Heritage Administration (pending an investigation that showed the site contained no traces of the historic wall or other cultural assets, which it didn’t, and the project was allowed to proceed). The Namdaemun Market merchants association continues to oppose the plan and is considering administrative ways to stop the construction of the site.

During talks with South Korea Wednesday, the North said they regretted the deaths caused by flooding in the South after they failed to announce they were releasing water from a dam on their side of the border. On Monday, South Korea had proposed working-level talks with the North to discuss ways to prevent such flooding. The proposal was the first since relations deteriorated after Lee Myung-bak was elected, but was made in light North Korea’s recent diplomatic gestures. The missile tests hours after the proposal made the possibility of talks seem uncertain. However, during today’s meeting the North agreed to warn the South before they released any dams in the future and to hold subsequent meetings to discuss flood prevention and establish rules for their shared waterways.

A day after the International Energy Agency (IEA) ranked South Korea as 9th in world carbon emissions, the Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime Affairs has announced that from now on apartment buildings in Korea will be “green homes. “ Building complexes of 20 units or more will use 10-15% less energy, and be equipped with heating and electrical systems that conserve energy, along with environmentally friendly appliances. During the drafting phase of construction, homes will have to be certified as “green” and auditors will be established to  ensure that the new standards are met. The government is pushing its green growth agenda and even the country’s department stores are adopting green company policies. E-Mart, owned by the Shinsaegae Group, has announced that it will stop printing and distributing flyers, and instead rely on its website to advertise sale item. It will also stop using plastic bags in all of its locations by next year.

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