China has become South Korea’s number one trade partner and the most important destination for South Korean foreign investment. Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial waste which are released into the environment, subsequently polluting it. Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of organisms and their specific environments. Fleeing from North Korea can be a traumatic ordeal. Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind, compounded by poor agricultural practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification. Industry figures suggest exports fell by £1.1bn last year as Covid and a 25% tariff in the US hit distillers hard. Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used in fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic in particulate form. Corruption Rank in South Korea averaged 41.81 from 1995 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 52 in 1999 and a record low of 27 in 1996. Kids are forced to study. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is a democracy that has appropriate protections in place for most political, civil, and socio-economic rights. Definition: This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in which trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land for temporary agriculture; the land is used until its productivity declines at which point a new plot is selected and the process repeats; this practice is sustainable while population levels are low and time is permitted for regrowth of natural vegetation; conversely, where these conditions do not exist, the practice can have disastrous consequences for the environment. 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Labor Force Participation Rate in South Korea decreased to 60.90 percent in January from 61.60 percent in December of 2020. Still current at: 2 March 2021 Updated: 24 February 2021 Latest update: Addition of information on a further suspension of direct flights from the UK to South Korea … Here's how defectors start new lives in the South. Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms (e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant destruction of reef and ocean-floor ecosystems. Education fever: Society, politics, and the pursuit of schooling in South Korea, Honolulu, HI: . While Dudden was in Seoul, South Koreans and North Koreans were permitted to have family reunions for the first time in three years, a rare occurrence in the 73 years since Korea was split during the Cold War era that followed World War II. POLITICAL CHALLENGES IN KOREAA dual transition—to a consolidated democracy and an advanced market economy—represents the main challenge that the Korean political and economic system currently confronts. Pollution - the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made waste. 5 … Unfortunately, during this time, maintaining an adequate protection of the country's ecosystems was a remote second priority as compared to improving the economic development of the nation. Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower atmosphere causing surface warming; water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere. －23－ The Current Situation and Issues of the Teaching of English in Korea（KWON） As shown in the figure, the 10 th graders in 2006 scored higher than the 11 graders in 2003. Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism, community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced disruption. Economic Doldrums Diplomat Brief Weekly Newsletter N … South Korea to extend current COVID-19 rules for 2 weeks South Korea News 11:06 26-Feb-21 Seoul Warns Sanctions Can Cause Humanitarian Crisis in North Korea Sputnik 10:49 26-Feb-21 Russian diplomats arrive from virus-hit North Korea on rail trolley Mail Online 10:44 26-Feb-21 South Korea’s foreign policy foundations are sound, but the country should manage potential domestic constraints, including the National Assembly, bureaucratic interests, public … A report describes how prisoners of war are used as slave labour to generate money for the regime. The singer of South Korean boy band Stray Kids is accused of being verbally abusive while in middle school. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had been frontrunner for the role but was opposed by the Trump administration. Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth often in naturally occurring reservoirs in permeable rock strata; the source for wells and natural springs. Education is too important in Korea, and the KSAT is one of the tests that will Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, and underground aquifers. Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits. With cinemas badly hit by Covid-19 restrictions they are looking for new revenue streams. South Korea started its Covid-19 vaccination rollout on Friday, with the first doses going to nursing home workers and some patients. Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence, abundance, and health reveal the general condition of its habitat. It is unclear as to what, if any, data was stolen, according to South Korea's intelligence agency. Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given area or volume. Climate Risk and Opportunity in South Korea | Pacific Council on International Policy DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT was banned in the US in 1972. But perhaps there is a moment for change. , p. 5). A former South Korean prisoner describes her time working in a North Korean coal mine. Let's start off with the educational problem. The world's biggest record label will invest in a livestreaming platform set up by company behind BTS. Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because of poor agricultural practices such as the excessive use of pesticides or fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or erosion of topsoil, eventually resulting in reduced ability to produce agricultural products. Read about our approach to external linking. The work problem. In particular, air quality in Seoul and the surrounding province significantly deteriorated throughout this period of rapid indust… South Korea started its Covid-19 vaccination rollout on Friday, with the first doses going to nursing home workers and some patients. However, South Korea is undergoing such transformation with a belief that this transition will be the key in preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century, and KICE is aiming to contribute to this change through its National Feb 20, 2021 Record 40.4% in Japan see ties with South Korea as 'not important' The figure marked a new high for the second straight time, … Labor Force Participation Rate in South Korea averaged 61.01 percent from 1982 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 64.20 percent in June of 2019 and a record low of 48.50 percent in January of 1984. If the current process of reconciliation between the 2 Koreas continues, better ties will likely lead to extensive production of South Korean goods-for-export in North Korea… News about South Korea, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times. Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than it can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant cover, a common effect of too many animals grazing limited range land. Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas, smoke, or fog. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN SOUTH KOREAThe Korean economy faces both opportunities and challenges. Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is generally anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide; often results in an over harvesting and waste of large populations of non-commercial marine species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping the ocean clean." During the two decades since it became a democracy, South Korea has faced lingering problems, such as poor governance, high-level corruption, lack of leadership, political conflict, … Byun Hee-soo had been dismissed by the military for undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Moreover, the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could … The man was caught with a diving suit and fins and is suspected of swimming across the border. Potable water - water that is drinkable, safe to be consumed. Salination - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water becomes salt (undrinkable) water; hence, desalination is the reverse process; also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused by evaporation of excessive irrigation water, a process that can eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops. While Cho’s tenure as justice minister is over, the problems plaguing the Moon administration, and South Korea, are not. The education problem. Source: CIA World Factbook - This page was last updated on Friday, November 27, 2020, air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing; solid waste disposal; transboundary pollution. 2002. South Korea launched its COVID-19 inoculation campaign on Friday, with shots to be administered in some 200 nursing homes, in an effort that officials call … To deal with these challenges, South Korea needs a game plan for 2019 and beyond. Waterborne diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are transmitted through, water; always a serious threat in areas with an untreated water supply. Earlier this week, South Korea’s prime minister told the BBC that he was confident the country would achieve herd immunity from Covid-19 by the autumn despite a later start to its vaccination programme. Here are five key issues that face South Korea that will need particular attention in the coming year. The elderlies problem. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy emitted by the sun and naturally filtered in the upper atmosphere by the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans. An overview of practical considerations surrounding trade barriers in South Korea, including notable non-tariff barriers, grounds for investigation and complaint filing procedures. K-pop superstars Blackpink have emerged as the latest force in the global fight against climate change. Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted with silt and mud, a side effect of deforestation and soil erosion. Most important issues facing women in South Korea 2019 Perception of men & women equal right status in South Korea 2019, by gender Opinions on discrimination in business in 20 years South Korea 2019 Industry and manufacturing in South Korea skyrocketed in the 1970s under the rule of dictator Park Chunhee. Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by Lesotho and South Africa to redirect Lesotho's abundant water supply into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most costly and controversial; objections to the project include claims that it forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and squanders economic resources. Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction either by direct hunting or habitat destruction.