Goh, a resident of Hwangji-dong in the city of Taebaek, Gangwon, said tap water is only available for three hours in the morning, and the family has been doing laundry just twice a week.

The rusty water might be tolerable for laundry, but the Gohs do not dare to drink it. And the limited supply of water in the morning means no water for the rest of the day; the family does not feel free to use the toilet at night.

I’ve visited friends – many of them monks who spend part of the year in remote rural areas – who say that during certain seasons their homes are unlivable due to the lack of water. It’s hard to fathom living in Seoul how dramatically different life can be outside the capital.

According to the corporation’s latest report, the country will be short of at least 800 million tons of waters by 2011, even if water resources are efficiently saved.

“Because of climate change, the severity of floods and droughts in Korea will worsen in the future,” said Professor Yi Jae-eung of Civil Systems Engineering at Ajou University. “It is imperative for us to build more dams, because that’s the surest way to secure water.”

“The current water shortage around the nation is the result of delaying dam construction for the past decade due to political debates,” Yi said.

Olympics ‘a Boon’ to Gov’t, Ruling Party
Chosun Ilbo
Apparently Pres. Lee’s dismal ratings are enjoying a comeback riding on the tails of S. Korea’s impressive performance in the Beijing Olympics. And who says the Olympics aren’t political!

Gov’t to rein in Internet news portals
Yonhap
On the face of it maybe not such a terrible thing, considering how the Internet in Korea has been exploited with terrible political and social fallout. But coming on the heels of a broader crackdown on media by the state, it’s disconcerting.

94 pct of employees abandon neck ties to save energy: survey
Yonhap
Korean employees shed the leash to cool off and help conserve energy. According to a poll done on over 200 firms, 94 percent of employees said they had been showing up with a “no-tie” look to do their part in scaling back the country’s energy needs. Brilliant!

Rice paddies

An article in the July 18th JoonAng Daily profiles a pastor-turned environmentalist.

Heo Byung-seob is a 68-year old former pastor from Seoul. In the early 1970s Heo served in one of Seoul’s poorest neighborhoods, Daldongnae, preaching the Gospel and administering to the poor. In 1988 Heo left his position in the church to embark on what would be a journey towards environmentalism. 

“I want to serve people,” Heo told the JoongAng, “not as a pastor, but as one individual helping another.”

In 1996 Heo left Seoul to pursue farming in the southern province of Jeolla-do. There he employed traditional agricultural techniques that proved both effective and environmentally friendly. In his rice paddies Heo used ducks and freshwater snails instead of pesticides to keep bugs and other pests away. 

On July 13th Pastor Heo, as he’s still called, announced he would be donating his entire estate, valued at over three hundred thousand US dollars, to National Nature Trust, an organization established for the purpose of advancing environmental causes in Korea.

Jeon Jae-gyung is a board member of National Nature Trust. He says the trust was modeled after the gye, a traditional Korean system in which each member of the community contributes to a local fund from which others can borrow.

“When my father died he urged me to use the land to help people,” recounted Heo. “He said that when my time came I could not take the land with me, so why not put it to a good cause.”

Heo’s donation is the largest received by the National Nature Trust, which has received major donations from other high-profile individuals, including a former presidential candidate and high-ranking politician.

The organization says Heo’s land, which lies beneath the foothills of one of South Korea’s major mountain ranges, will be used to help promote environmentally friendly businesses that will also benefit local residents. The project is part of a larger program aimed at establishing an eco-village in the area. 

Park Kyung-mi is a 39-year old mother who, for financial reasons, left the city to return to her rural hometown. “After a while I lost all hope here,” she says, referring to the lack of jobs and resources in many of Korea’s rural communities. “This trust has brought new hope to the people here,” she says.

In a speech to local residents Heo said, “My hope is this land will help the local community here while also creating a cleaner and more harmonious environment.”

Korean cyclists on parade

South Korean media have been devoting an increasing amount of attention to environmental issues, with daily or weekly sections dedicated to current trends, advice, and activities related to the environment. Examples include the increasing popularity of walking clubs and the coinage of a new phrase, “walk-a-holic.” Another hot-topic is the reduction in use of vampire lights, those little lights on all your appliances that drain energy. Below are a few examples on how South Korea and it’s residents are working to improve the local environment and alert people to environmental causes.

Cyclists on Parade

On July 14th, over a thousand cycling enthusiasts went on parade in the city of Taejeon, about an hour away from Seoul. The event was a part of an international cycling symposium promoting environmental and physical health through bicycles. 

“Korea needs to establish more bicycle lanes to encourage people to get out of the cars and ride more,” said one participant. “This will help both people’s and the environment’s well-being.”

A Dutch participant criticized existing bike lanes in Korea, which share the road with pedestrians. “Lanes like this are in fact somewhat dangerous, and can cause serious accidents.”

“Cyclists need more legal protection,” said one Korean official, “as well as improving enforcement of existing traffic laws.”

Oil prices reduce traffic

A story in today’s JoonAng reports that rising oil prices have reduced the number of cars on Korean’s highly congested highways, with an accompanying increase in the number of riders on public transportation.

Referring to the increased ridership, a stationmaster in one of Seoul’s many subway stations noted, ““There are over 370 people riding in a carriage that is supposed to hold 150 at full capacity.” Citing high oil prices, he continued ““Usually, the number of passengers decreases in the summer, but this year they have been increasing since May.”

Related story

Local river gets love

A local river here in Seoul recently got an injection of local fish, to the tune of nearly 5000. On July 14th middle school children turned out at the Yangjae stream to release the fish, with the aim of helping to diversify the area’s ecosystem and help keep the water clean.

There’s a long pathway that follows the stream. In recent months the local district office sponsored a program involving the planting of rice paddies, to help educate young Seoul residents on agriculture and other outdoor activities.

For more information in English and Korean on how to save energy:

Flex Your Power (Korean)