PM 2.5 and South Korea's Solutions

            More than a week has passed since the people of Bangkok have been facing the issue of PM 2.5 dust particles exceeding standards. However, many voices from the capital still express dissatisfaction, stating that they have yet to see concrete and acceptable measures from the government to address the problem. This time, TerraBKK has explored information from major cities abroad that face similar issues, specifically Seoul, South Korea, where interesting measures and policies for addressing the problem have been found.

Environmental Crisis from Rapid Development

            South Korea's first environmental policy was announced in 1963, following the rapid economic development during the 1960s, particularly in the industrial sector. In 1961, South Korea's GDP was $2.1 billion, and after experiencing an economic crisis in 1996, it soared to $484 billion.

            During the same period in 1996, South Korea's GNP per capita reached $10,543, marking a significant economic growth compared to the previous year.

            The rapid success of South Korea, focused solely on economic development, led to a severe environmental crisis in 1997, the effects of which are still felt today.

PM 2.5: A Universal Problem

            It's not just Thailand facing the troublesome PM 2.5 dust; South Korea is also affected, with PM 2.5 levels soaring to 258. Naturally, the South Korean government has implemented immediate short-term measures to address the problem, starting in Seoul, where outdoor activities were restricted, and private car use was limited to vehicles with even-numbered license plates. Additionally, diesel vehicles registered in 1999 or earlier were banned from the roads, with the government providing compensation of up to 1.65 million won (approximately 46,700 baht) for retrofitting trucks weighing 2.5 tons or more with dust filtration devices. Public transport fares were also reduced, with free rides during peak hours, and coal-fired power plants were instructed to reduce their output to 80%.

Next Steps in Environmental Management

            In the long term, the South Korean government has prepared measures and policies to incentivize pollution reduction. Currently, coal-fired power plants are operating at 80% capacity, but next year, the government has clearly stated that there will be no more coal-fired power plants, marking a bold and decisive measure.

            Furthermore, a Hydrogen Economy Policy Blueprint has been introduced, aiming to promote the production of environmentally friendly vehicles powered by hydrogen, targeting 6 million units within 20 years, which could generate over 43 trillion won for the country. Currently, South Korea has 4,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles, with plans for 80,000 hydrogen taxis, 40,000 buses, and 30,000 clean energy trucks.

Public Transport Management: The Main Source of Pollution

            It is evident that the South Korean government is quite aware of and prioritizes the public transport infrastructure. Looking back to 2002, everyone remembers South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project (the project to remove an old expressway to create public space), which was one of the policies during his campaign for mayor of Seoul, ultimately leading to his election as president. (Read about Cheonggyecheon here) However, there was another policy that significantly boosted Lee Myung-bak's popularity that is less known: the management of the public bus system in Seoul.

            Previously, the bus system in Seoul was not much different from Bangkok today, with fragmented control over bus routes through licenses from the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), leading to various issues such as poor service quality, deteriorating vehicles, redundant costs for passengers switching buses, overlapping routes, and some areas lacking bus services.

            Lee Myung-bak reformed the public bus system in Seoul with a focus on five aspects: easy routes, categorization into four colors, variable pricing based on distance, a new numbering system, and GPS tracking. The reform process began with public participation and stakeholder engagement, establishing a citizens' committee for bus reform, which included members from civil society, academia, government, and the private sector.