The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment () is the South Korea branch of government charged with environmental protection. In addition to enforcing regulations and sponsoring ecological research, the Ministry manages the national parks of South Korea. Its headquarters is in Sejong City."Home" (English). Ministry of Environment. Retrieved on December 31, 2013. "Government Complex Sejong, 11, Doum6-Ro Sejong-City, 339-012, Republic of Korea"
Mission
The mission of the Ministry of Environment is to protect the national territory from threats of environmental pollution and to improve the quality of life for the public. This includes ensuring the people of South Korea can enjoy the natural environment, clean water and clear skies. Furthermore, the Ministry aims to contribute to the global efforts to protect the Earth. In February 2008, the Korea Meteorological Administration became an affiliate of the Ministry of Environment to facilitate countermeasures against climate change.
Tasks of the Ministry of Environment include
Enactment and amendment of environmental laws and regulations Introduction of environmental institutions Building up the framework structure for environmental administration Drafting and implementation of mid to long term comprehensive measures for environmental conservation Setting up standards for regulations Providing administrative and financial support for environmental management to local governments Inter-Korean environmental cooperation Environmental cooperation with other countries.
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History
The environmental authority of the Republic of Korea, began with the Pollution Section of the Ministry of Health and Society, established in 1967, which was expanded to become the Pollution Division, in charge of environmental administration, in 1973. After several reforms and the expansion of environmental authority, the Environment Administration was launched as an affiliate of the Ministry of Health and Society, in 1980. In January 1990, the Environment Administration was elevated to the Ministry of Environment under the Office of the Prime Minister, in order to efficiently integrate and coordinate environmental issues. In December 1994, the Ministry of Environment was given greater authority to establish and implement its own policies. In October 2025 under Lee Jae-myung government, the organization was renamed as the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, in which Ministry of Trade and Industry transferred its energy part.
Timeline
September 1980 Korea Resources Recovery & Reutilization Corporation (KRRRC) established July 1980 Six Regional Environmental Monitoring Offices set up January 1980 Environment Administration (EA) established. October 1986 The Regional Environmental Monitoring Offices enlarged and re-organized as Environmental Branch Offices. March 1987 Environmental Management Corporation (EMC) established. January 1990 EA upgraded to the MOE. Six Regional Environmental Management Offices established. May. 1991 Central Environmental Disputes Coordination Commission (CEDCC) established. December 1991 Environmental Officers Training Institute (EOTI) established. December 1994 As part of a major restructuring of the government, MOE was given greater authority with its functions and manpower increased. May. 1994 Water Supply and Sewage Treatment Bureau of the Ministry of Construction, Potable Water Management Division of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, and Water Quality Inspection Department of the National Health Institute transferred to the MOE. Regional Environmental Management Offices re-organized as four offices, each responsible for one of the four major rivers, and three Regional Environmental Management Offices. October 1995 The Environmental Investigation Division of the Water Quality Management Bureau and the Incheon Regional Environmental Management Office was established. August 1996 Marine Environment Division transferred to newly established Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. February 1998 Natural Parks Division of the Ministry of Domestic Affairs transferred to the MOE. May. 1999 The Office of Forestry transferred the operation on protecting wild birds and hunting regulation to the National Institute of Environmental Research. October 2000 Established National Environmental Conservation to strengthen the efficiency of promoting environmentally friendly National development policy and to prevent environmental damage. August 2002 Established Total Air Pollution Load Management System. March 2004 Established Total Air Pollution Load Management System. January 2005 Established Total Water Pollution Load Management System and Metropolitan Air Quality Management Office. February 2005 Renamed the Waste Management & Recycling Bureau to the Resource Recirculation Bureau. April 2005 Unified Innovation & Personnel and Environmental Data & Information to Planning & Management Office for more enhanced policy management functional system. February 2006In accordance with the amendment of Toxic Chemicals Control Act, tasks to handle new chemicals and manage restricted and prohibited substances were added.Environmental Assessment Policy Division and Emergency Planning Office were established.Separated Department of Environmental Training under National Institute of Environmental Research and established National Institute of Environmental Human Resources Development. February 2007 Established National Institute of Biological Resources. February 2008 Korea Meteorological Administration became an affiliate of the Ministry.December 2012Moved its headquarters to Sejong city.June 2025Reorganized and Renamed to Ministry of Climate, Environment, and Energy.
Major policies
Air
Air Pollutant Emissions Trading System Certification of Exhaust Reduction Equipment Foul Odor Prevention Promotion of Natural Gas Vehicles Air Pollution Monitoring Clean SYS In-use Diesel Vehicle Emissions Control Special Measures for Air Quality Improvement in the Seoul Metropolitan Area Atmospheric Environmental Standard Dust and sandstorms Indoor Air Quality Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Reduction
Water
Drinking Water Quality Standard and Test Ecological Stream Restoration Projects Environmental Management of Military Facilities Environmental Water Quality Standards Individual Sewerage Non-point Source Pollution Management Operation of Water Quality Monitoring Network Public Sewerage Total Water Pollution Load Management System Underground Water Management Water Environment Management Master Plan Water Use Charge Whole Effluent Toxicity Management System
Riparian buffer zone designation system
This is a system that restricts the construction of restaurants, accommodation, spas, factories, and warehouses by establishing a certain section of a river as a buffer zone connecting the aquatic ecosystem and the terrestrial ecosystem for the purpose of securing a healthy aquatic ecosystem and clean water, and designating a Riparian Buffer Zone to form a Riparian Buffer Forest after buying lands near the waterside one by one, through agreements with residents.
For the Han River watershed, 255 km2 adjacent to Paldonghosu, Namhan River, Bukhan River, and Kyoungan stream was first designated as a Riparian Zone in September 1999. Three successive changes have reduced its size to 191.3 km2. For the Nakdong River, Geum River, and Yeongsan River watershed, major dams and the land near stream flow and lakes, which were used as a water source, were designated as Riparian Buffer Zones in September 2003. For the Nakdong River watershed, three changes have been applied, making the designated area 339.9 km2. For the Geum River watershed, three changes have been applied, making the designated area 373.2 km2. For Yeongsan River watershed, four changes have been applied, making the designated area 295.6 km2.
However, the following areas were excluded from the Riparian Buffer Zones: Water source protection areas, development restriction areas, and military facility protection areas, which were already subject to other regulations; sewage disposal areas, anticipated sewage disposal areas, and city areas and settlement areas designated by the Utilization Management of the Land Act that had an existing environmental infrastructure; and natural villages above level 5 for Nakdong River and above level 10 for Geum River and Yeongsan River. For areas designated as Riparian Buffer Zones, new construction of pollution sources such as restaurants, accommodation, spas, apartment housing, factories and warehouses are prohibited. After three years from an area's designation as a Riparian Buffer Zone, the existing pollution sources must discharge sewage only after it has been processed to BOD and SS levels below 10ppm.
Toxic pollutants effluent standard
To maintain public water quality at a level that is safe for human and animal health and for the growth of plants, pollution materials subject to management are designated under the Act on Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation. Currently, 40 kinds of organic materials, including copper, lead, nickel, and cyanogens, are designated as water pollutants. To manage water quality safety, heavy metals and phenols are designated as specific water pollution material.
An emission standard is one of the regulatory methods to achieve environmental standards, and restricts the concentration of discharge water from a discharging business. The standard is set with consideration given to environmental standards and purification capacity of a stream. The Act on Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation applies wastewater emission standards to 29 items (e.g., organic materials, suspended solids, and phenols), and classifies the water quality of each watershed into 4 levels (Clean, Ga, Na, Special) for each region.
Organic material and suspended solids are handled differently according to the amount of wastewater discharged from a business. That is, considering the effect that it has on the stream, stricter emission standards are applied to a business that discharges wastewater in the amount of more than 2,000 m3/day than to smaller businesses, in order to incorporate a quantity regulation method as well as a concentration regulation method. Taking the capacity of wastewater processing facilities into account, special emission standards are applied to businesses whose wastewater flows into wastewater processing facilities in industrial complexes or agricultural/industrial complexes.
Since 1997, emission standards regarding nitrogen and phosphorus materials have been applied to all businesses located at Paldang Lake, Daecheong Lake, Nakdong River and Nakdong Estuary watershed to prevent the eutrophication of lakes and marshes. All businesses in Korea have been subject to the same standards since 2003.
The amount of chemicals discharged from industries into the watershed have increased with the growth of the chemical industry and the increase in international trade. Therefore, pilot studies on the ecotoxicity of discharged water for fish (minnow), daphnia magna, and birds have been undertaken since 2002, to examine the toxicity of unknown harmful materials outside of emission standards items. The Act on Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation was amended in November 2007 to adopt an integrated toxicity management system based on the result of this research.
Telemetry Monitoring System (TMS) Tele-Monitoring System (TMS) refers to a system that monitors the emission state of pollution materials on a 24-hour basis by creating an online connection between automatic measurement devices, which are attached to the discharging outlet of wastewater processing facilities and wastewater-producing businesses, and a remote water quality control center.