Policy Responses Towards Improving Solid Waste Management Seoul City

Abstract

The Seoul City has been the capital city of the nation for about 600 years. However, the City experienced rapid growth only in recent years. The Republic of Korea remained an agricultural country until early 1960s. The rapid industrialization began with the First 5-year Economic Development Plan which started in 1962. The Seoul City grew very rapidly with the success of industrialization. The population of the City increased from 3,471 thousand in 1965 to 10,287 thousand in 1988, which occupies 23.9 per cent of the national total population. The annual population increase rate of the City during the time was 5. 07 per cent while the national average was 1. 66 per cent. As results of rapid industrialization and urbanization, the City faced with serious urban problems such as housing, traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and others. Among them, the solid waste management issue emerged as one of the most urgent urban problems in the City. Traditionally, Korean people did not produce any wastes to be dumped collectively: all wastes were recycled in principle. Wastes were either fed to livestocks or were utilized as fertilizer. However, the citizens could no more practice recycling as the composition of wastes changed and the City became congested. The Metropolitan Government organized a department responsible for managing solid wastes only in early 1960s.