한•중 정부에 첫 미세먼지 소송…"정부에 책임" vs "노력 다해"<br /><br />A preliminary hearing was held... for the first-ever lawsuit claiming compensation for damages caused by fine dust here in the nation.<br />A group of local citizens and a civic group have taken legal action.<br />They blame the South Korean and Chinese governments... of failing to adopt proper countermeasures.<br />Hong Yoo has the full story. <br />"We advise you to wear a mask today because there is a high concentration of fine dust." <br />This is a familiar warning that can be heard frequently on the airwaves in South Korea.<br /><br />Fine dust has become one of the biggest environmental concerns... directly affecting the lives of ordinary Koreans and their health.<br /><br />In response,... 91 Korean citizens along with a representative from the Korea Green Foundation have filed a lawsuit.... against the South Korean and Chinese governments for their alleged failures to actively curb fine dust.<br /><br />The proceedings began on Friday with the first hearing.<br />Only the plaintiff and the statutory representative of South Korea were present at the session. <br />The South Korean Justice Department has sent documents such as the warden's copy to its Chinese counterpart, but there has been no response from Beijing so far.<br /><br />The plaintiff claimed that through this lawsuit, they hope to legally determine whether both governments have made enough efforts to tackle the fine dust issue.<br />They argued that one-dimensional state measures had failed to protect the basic rights of the country's citizens,... and that the government should be held directly responsible for any resulting damages.<br /><br />Their compensation claims include future damages from psychological distress, and costs incurred from the purchases of masks and air purifiers. <br /><br />But the South Korean government countered... that they have made continuous efforts to reduce fine dust,... and have adopted a fundamental approach to tackle the issue at its source.<br />The government suggested that the plaintiff lacked concrete evidence... to prove that they could be held directly accountable for the damages.<br /><br />The date of the next hearing is scheduled for December 7th.<br />Hong Yoo, Arirang News. <br />
