On the morning of February 19, at Seoul Lotte Hotel (Jung-gu, Seoul), Minister Han Wha-jin of the Ministry of Environment, along with Saia Ma'u Piukala, Regional Director of the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional Office, announced that they will discuss ways to collaborate and exchange in the field of environmental health to address climate change in the Western Pacific region. 

Director Piukala, the Regional Director of the Western Pacific Regional Office, is originally from Tonga, a Pacific island nation. He has served in various capacities, including Minister of Health and Member of Parliament, and he assumed office as the new Regional Director in February 2024. 

Since 2010, the Ministry of Environment has been signing memoranda of understanding with the Western Pacific Regional Office to establish a collaborative framework for sharing environmental health policies in the Asian region and supporting cooperative projects. 

At the bilateral talks, the two institutions plan to strengthen collaboration to enhance climate resilience in the Western Pacific region and establish a framework for managing environmental health risk factors. Additionally, they plan to continue practical discussions on specific collaborative tasks and implementation plans to achieve visible outcomes. 

In addition, discussions will take place regarding the future operational direction of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health, a specialized branch of the Western Pacific Regional Office. The Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health was established in 2019 through a trilateral memorandum of understanding signed by the Ministry of Environment, the Western Pacific Regional Office, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It is located at the Seoul Global Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Since January 2020, the center has been engaged in tasks such as researching health impacts due to environmental pollution (air, water, climate change, and chemical substances) and providing guidelines and policy directions related to pollutants.

Regional Director Piukala of the Western Pacific Regional Office expressed that within the World Health Organization, climate change is the most concerning area. Since assuming office in February of this year, he has highlighted the "acceleration of actions on climate change and environmental health" as the top policy priority for the Western Pacific Regional Office.

In response, Minister Han Wha-jin of the Ministry of Environment emphasized, "The Western Pacific region is particularly vulnerable to environmental crises, and responding to climate change is crucial." She stated, "As the lead agency in Korea for climate change response, the Ministry of Environment will strengthen collaboration with the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Regional Office to enhance cooperation in climate change, environment, and health in the Western Pacific region."

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com