Use of asbestos and products containing asbestos is banned in Korea because it was scientifically proven to cause malignant diseases such as cancer. But asbestos-related diseases have been found to occur among ordinary citizens as well as workers, and damage from the exposure to asbestos has become pretty tangible considering the growing number of patients. Ordinary citizens, who haven't worked any asbestos-related job, faced many challenges that hamper their attempts to receive compensation because the diseases do not surface for many years and asbestos exist in various forms throughout the living environment||hence the difficulty in pinpointing the cause. In this situation, government and industries that earned profits from the use of asbestos jointly assumed responsibility based on the principle of shared responsibility and took a step to ensure compensation to ordinary citizens. Against this background, the Ministry of Environment enacted the Act on Asbestos Damage Relief in March 2010 to provide the basis for compensation to those with illness caused by asbestos.

Climate change caused by global warming has a wide-ranging impact on the atmosphere, marine environment plants and animals, glaciers, land, and human system. It has come to the fore as an environmental problem that jeopardizes the sustainable development of the country. To adapt to those such climate changes, Korea has focused on the harmonious combination of mitigation and adaptation as specified in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Korea 's adaptation strategy and plan are linked with green growth, which is envisioned by the country as a new growth engine||it has been mapped out and implemented as a mandatory plan in accordance with the Framework Ad on Low Carbon, Green Growth. Developed in 2010 jointly by 13 government departments (with the Ministry of Environment playing the leading role), Korea 's national climate change adaptation plan envisions the establishment of a safe society and support for green growth through climate change adaptation.

UNEP magazine for youth.

UNEP magazine for youth.