Korea is in a situation such that environmental protection and social integration are relatively vulnerable as
compared with the economic growth forwarded by the government’s active promotion strategy for the last 40
years or so. Korea has achieved rapid economic growth over the past several decades, and ranked 10th on the
economic scale among OECD nations, however, its development-oriented paradigm exceeds the assimilative
capacity of the environment, and environmental sustainability is deteriorating. According to the 2005
Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) of the World Economy Forum, Korea ranked 122nd out of 146
nations, and this clearly shows the imbalance between economic growth and environmental sustainability, as
well as Korea’s poor environmental performance. Korea has also been encountering a problem in that the
level of social integration is falling, caused by spreading conflicts between regions, generations and social
classes.
Toward a solution of such problems, the President announced the “National Sustainability Development
Vision” on the 4th June 2005, and this defines an advanced nation that should achieve the integration of
economic, social and environmental development. The vision includes nine implementation tasks and five
policy goals, such as “Integrated National Land Management” and “creating an environmentally friendly
economic structure.”
As global environmental conditions are become more serious, the idea of sustainable development is
expanding all over the world. Sustainable Development not only aims at preventing environmental
deterioration and social conflicts, but also means a future-oriented development strategy, which provides a
blueprint for harmoniously achieving economic growth, social integration and environmental conservation.
Sustainable Development means “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs