Water
Korea made unmistakable progress in improving the water quality of its rivers during the review
period and has set further ambitious receiving water quality targets for the future. Water quality in the
country’s four main water supply reservoirs improved to the extent that the Green Vision 21 target was
reached a few years early. Korea extended the coverage of its waste water treatment infrastructure from
45% of the population in 1995 to an impressive 81% in 2004, and thereby surpassed another important
Green Vision target for 2005. Good progress was also made in reducing industrial discharges and
discharges from intensive livestock operations. Korea has begun moving away from the supply-dominated
approach of the past towards a more integrated quality and quantity management of its water resources,
adopting a river-basin management approach for its four major rivers. As part of this, in 2007 it will begin
implementing a “total pollution load management” system to manage point-source pollution discharges.
Effluent limits for sewage discharges were tightened. The use of nitrogenous chemical fertilisers was
reduced by 29% during 1997-2003. Water legislation was further amended and updated during the review
period, and much progress was made in implementing the user pays principle for domestic and industrial
water use, although there are cross-subsidies from industry to households. Korea has made a start at trying
to reverse the mounting damages caused by flooding by moving away from a sole reliance on engineering
works towards a comprehensive approach that includes ecosystem management.
Despite this progress, Korea still has a considerable distance to go to meet its water quality
objectives for rivers and reservoirs: in 2004, only about one-third of 194 river sections met their quality
targets. Biochemical oxygen demand remains the almost exclusive focus of management, while heavy
metals and persistent contaminants have so far received little attention. Aquatic species and biodiversity
have been neglected altogether. “Red tides” of decomposing algae in coastal waters are a sign of serious
nutrient pollution. Three-quarters of sewage sludge is still dumped at sea. Water infrastructure in rural
areas lags behind that in the densely populated urban areas. The proposed strengthening of regulations for
industrial effluents has yet to be implemented. The impact of intensive agriculture on water quality and
quantity has not been sufficiently brought under control. The control of diffuse pollution sources is only
beginning to be addressed. In order to face the long-standing, intense pressure on its water resources,
Korea needs to undertake more efforts to confront the challenge of integrated urban water management,
such as rainwater harvesting, reuse of grey water and retention of storm water.