Increasing Pollution On Jeju Island
Increasing Pollution On Jeju Island
  • Reporter Jung Hye-Yoon
  • 승인 2022.11.13 01:02
  • 댓글 0
이 기사를 공유합니다

▲Jeju Plus International Environment Forum / Kyunghyang Shinmun
▲Jeju Plus International Environment Forum / Kyunghyang Shinmun

 Concerns about the environment have started to be an increasingly serious problem around the world, and this is no exception in South Korea. Although it has been some time since the concept of environmental awareness was introduced, most people do not see environmental concerns as directly linked to them. Jeju Island, the most popular tourist destination in South Korea, has suffered the consequences of negligence towards the environment, and the rate of waste accumulation on this island is steadily increasing. 
 Due to the popularity of Jeju Island as a tourist destination, the number of tourists visiting Jeju has surged. According to statistics from the Jeju Island Tourism Association, the number of tourists that visited Jeju in 2021 exceeded 12 million. This suggests that the amount of waste and pollution accumulated on Jeju also has increased. Data from the Ministry of Environment states that the amount of daily domestic waste on Jeju Island has increased by 50.6%, from 764 tons in 2011 to 1150.9 tons in 2022. Jeju Island authorities also estimate that the tourism industry accounts for nearly 40 percent of the island’s waste. In addition, the problem of traffic congestion and the lack of parking spaces has arisen from the increase in tourism. 
 With these environmental concerns in mind, the Jeju Plus International Environment Forum 2022 was held on Jeju Island from Aug. 4 to 5. During this forum, the issue of plastic pollution and creating a sustainable environment was discussed by participants from 14 different countries. Previously, on Sept. 26, Jeju Island announced that it would strive towards being an island with zero plastic by 2040, and international organizations also pledged to help the island achieve this goal. 
 As can be seen from the topic of this forum, out of the overall waste pollution, plastic pollution is one of the most serious problems that Jeju Island is currently facing. Various methods for reducing plastic usage and solving plastic pollution have been suggested by experts in diverse areas. Professor Kim Hyun-wook from the University of Seoul stated that he has been conducting research regarding methods to find out how much plastic is being removed from sewage treatment plants. In addition, Prof. Seo Jeong-gil from Hanyang University introduced a method of using waste plastic as the ingredient of airplane fuel. This is a method of solving the situation of increased demand for air travel with plastic pollution. 
 Overall, Jeju Island is still suffering from increased environmental pollution occuring due to the ever-increasing number of tourists. Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, and there are many geological and environmentally significant sites on it. Although the majority of Koreans understand the importance of a sustainable environment, the lack of action in helping to reduce pollution may lead to severe consequences in the future. Finding innovative ways to reuse and recycle plastic might be one way to solve the current situation, but tourists must also harbor the thought of protecting and respecting the sites that they visit.