Are Koreans ready for a more environmentally friendly lifestyle?
There has definitely been a shift. Twenty years ago, people were not aware of environmental problems. Raising the subject of pollution in public was considered as an anti-government, anti-development attitude. The military regime of the time suppressed all forms of civil society activities. However, after the success of the 1987 June democracy struggle, the influence of environmental groups has increased significantly. We should be clear about what kind of prosperity we wanta healthy lifestyle with modest resources or polluted surroundings with more wealth. Our current way of life is influenced by western culture with its wasteful habits. I am confident that if people realize the damages they are causing to their environment, they will be willing to change their attitude and the government will follow suit. Also, if South Korea does not meet global environmental regulations, it will lose its economic competitiveness. Foreign investors will shy away if the country gets increasingly poll
