The Ministry of Environment (Minister Cho Myung-rae) announced that the ministry will create a safe and healthy homeland environment from climate change and environment crisis by promoting the restoration of damaged ecosystem and establishing a wildlife borne disease management system as policies of the Green New Deal.

The Green New Deal was established as a part of the "comprehensive plan for the Korean New Deal" which was announced on July 14th. "Restore green ecosystems in land, seas and cities" is included in the eight Green New Deal initiatives* as a strategy to overcome the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 as well as the climate and environmental crisis at the same time. 

* ① Remodel public buildings to achieve net-zero, ② Restore green ecosystems in land, seas and cities, ③ Establish a clean and safe water management system, ④ Establish a foundation to diffuse renewable energy, ⑤ Efficient energy management, ⑥ Expand green mobility, ⑦ Foster promising companies to lead green industries, ⑧ Establish a foundation for green innovations

As climate change and COVID-19 proliferate, not only Korea but other international communities recognize the importance of maintaining the healthy natural environment of forest, marine and city areas as the basis of sustainable development including prevention of the outbreak and spread of future diseases and improvement of the quality of life for people. The restoration of national ecosystem was also emphasized at the "European Green Deal (2019.12)*".

* "Protection of biodiversity" is included in the "10 initiatives of the European Green Deal". As a follow up measure of the Green Deal, the "EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030" was announced which emphasizes the restoration of healthy city, fresh water, marine and forest ecosystems (2020.5) 

The Green New Deal's "restore green ecosystem in land, seas and cities" has a goal of restoring the health of damaged nature by urbanization and industrialization as well as creating a safe national environment from wildlife borne diseases. It includes ① restoration of damaged areas in cities and protected areas, ② management of the entire process of wildlife diseases and ③ green restoration law and system reinforcement plan. The main contents are as follows:

1. Restoration of damaged areas in cities and protected areas

The Ministry of Environment plans to restore the damaged natural environment in cities for their substantiality.

First, 25 locations from the damaged areas are selected for enhancement of ecosystem service* functions through the ecosystem restoration. The locations are to be restored by 2025 to create urban ecological spaces where human and nature coexist.

* Water purification, air quality improvement, water supply, carbon absorption, biological habitat, landscape, culture, etc. 

If the government's ecosystem restoration policy has been centered on the legally protected areas (wetlands conservation area, ecology and landscape protection areas, etc.) or non-urban areas, the Green New Deal will actively promote establishment of ecological spaces in urban and suburban areas. 

In addition, the "basic plan for green restoration of the national territory environment*" is planned to be established by 2021 in order to diagnose the status of damage to the natural environment of national territory as well as to set restoration goals and enable systematic restorations based on the diagnosis. 

* Diagnosing damage status, setting restoration goals, introducing the restoration basic policy and restoration project promotion system, etc.

As for the national parks representing the natural environment of Korea, 16 damaged areas will be restored by 2025 for conservation and sustainable use of the parks. Also, the plan is to expand the infrastructure for eco-friendly and high-quality ecological exploration centered on the lowlands. 

※ Promoting research on establishing an ecological culture and education platform in national parks (2020.12)

2. Management of the entire process of wildlife diseases

In order to achieve a transformation into a new coexistence and safe environment between humans and wildlife to respond to the spread of COVID-19 infection, the prevention of domestic inflow of wildlife borne diseases is enhanced and a management system for the entire distribution process of wildlife is established. 

※ 75% of the new human diseases originate from animals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2017.12)

A "comprehensive wildlife management system" will be established to manage the status and disease history of all wildlife animals distributed in Korea. 

Also, a wildlife import quarantine system will be introduced and management system for all related processes such as exhibiting, selling and owning wildlife animals will be established to resolve an issue of the blind spots for the management of zoonosis in everyday life. 

In addition, the national wildlife disease management center, an agency in charge of wildlife disease management will launch in October to work on investigating and researching wildlife diseases, developing quarantine technology and establishing a quarantine system in cooperation with related organizations.

The center plans to continuously promote specific restoration projects for endangered indigenous species such as Asiatic black bears and mountain goats in order to improve the biodiversity of Korean wildlife ecosystem. The center will also continue to strengthen habitat-centered conservation and management measures for the wildlife.

※ (Status of endangered species restoration) 69 Asiatic black bears restored (2004~), 56 foxes restored (2012~)

3. Green restoration law and system reinforcement plan

In order to ensure the performance of the national ecosystem restoration and increase its effectiveness, the Ministry of Environment plans to promote the enhancement of related laws and systems.

First, a legal basis for the establishment of cooperative system for all ministries including the principles, standards and procedures* of the restoration projects will be prepared so that the projects to restore the natural environment can be systematically promoted. (「Natural Environment Conservation Act」 Amended)

* (Example of promotion procedure) Analyze damaged area and review restoration feasibility → Establish restoration plan → Implement restoration project → Return to project effect analysis and maintenance·management 

In addition, a "natural environment restoration project" is planned so that relevant experts can be put into the ecosystem restoration project which requires multidisciplinary approach and convergent technologies. (「Natural Environment Conservation Act」 Amended)

※ A forum to establish a new natural environment investigation and restoration project are in progress (2019.8∼)

As for establishing the management system of the entire process of wildlife borne diseases, 

obtaining a permission and report when bringing wildlife animals that have the potential to mediate wildlife borne diseases will be mandatory. Also, the quarantine procedures for major wildlife diseases will be legislated. (「Wildlife Protection And Management Act」 Amended)

Furthermore, regulations on the exhibition and sales of wildlife animals, such as prohibition of exhibiting wild animals in facilities other than the zoo, introduction of the wildlife animal sales business license system and conversion of the zoo license system, are also planned to be enhanced. (「Act On The Management Of Zoos And Aquariums」 Amended)

"Restoring the health of our national ecosystem is one of the core values of Green New Deal, along with the reduction of green house gases. We will continue our utmost efforts to implement the Green New Deal by emphasizing the fact that healthy people and country can only be achieved through healthy natural environment", said Park Yeon-jae, Environment Ministry Official, Ministry of Environment.