Environment minister asserts ministry's role in tackling climate change

Environment Minister Kim Wan-seop asserted the need for the government to set up a control tower for tackling climate change, saying in a press briefing Tuesday that such a state mechanism is “necessary, in line with global trends.”

As the Ministry of Environment is the part of the government that prioritizes climate issues, Kim added that he believes the ministry, if chosen for the role, will do well in “administering dialogue and policies related to climate change.”

Kim’s comments were related to an amendment to the Government Organization Act submitted by Rep. Park Jeung of the Democratic Party on Monday, which proposed renaming the Ministry of Environment as the Ministry of Climate and Environment, elevating the environment minister’s status to deputy prime minister and establishing a second vice minister position to oversee and coordinate climate policies, among other environmental measures.

Commenting on Park’s proposal, Kim reiterated the importance of including the word “climate” if the Ministry of Environment were to be renamed to clearly establish the ministry’s expertise in climate issues.

“Even when (the Environment Ministry) reviews issues such as crop damage caused by climate change, it involves several other ministries, which makes the overall process extremely complicated,” continued Kim. “(The ministry) currently lacks the necessary infrastructure to oversee climate change issues on its own, so reform is necessary here as well.”

Kim added that "all functions which work to deal with issues related to climate change” should be consolidated and “transformed into a bona fide think tank.”