South Korea is calling for international cooperation to fight air pollution and climate change, and it will first step up the partnership with China.<br />Lee Kyung-eun reports.<br />South Korea and China will strengthen their cooperation to reduce fine dust pollution.<br />Environment minister Cho Myung-rae and his Chinese counterpart Li Ganjie met on Monday in Seoul, and signed an action plan for the so-called Clear Sky Project.<br />The two first proposed the plan back in February, when they agreed to hold policy consultations on an annual basis to curb air pollution.<br />Now, the action plan will take the form of tangible efforts,… through cooperation in three areas policy and information exchanges, joint research, and the commercialization of technology.<br />In particular, the two sides will exchange information on fine dust forecasting.<br />Also, South Korea will install environmentally friendly technology in China's coal-fired power plants, and China will expand the number of cities subject to joint monitoring of air quality.<br />Also Monday, the Chinese environment minister attended an international forum in Seoul on air pollution and climate change where South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon was also present.<br />There, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of regional cooperation in tackling climate change, saying that air pollution transcends national boundaries, so it can only be solved through transnational efforts.<br />In line with that, he said that the results of a joint study by South Korea, China and Japan will be released this month.<br />Li Ganjie echoed the importance of working together.<br />He said China plans to give top priority to environmental issues and will increase cooperation and exchanges with other countries.<br />China's role is especially important as a large portion Korea's fine dust is believed to blow in from China, while the major domestic contributor is exhaust gas.<br />Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.<br />
