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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 SEOUL 000951 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/IHB, OES/SAT, OES/PCI AND OES/EGC 
STATE FOR EAP/K, ISN/NESS AND STAS 
STATE PASS TO EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP AND CEQ 
DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL, NE, FE, AND EERE 
USDOC FOR 4400/MAC/EAP/OPB/ITA/TA 
USDOC FOR NIST 
HHS FOR OGHA 
HHS PASS TO NIH FOR FIC 
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTL PROGRAMS 
STATE PASS TO NRC FOR INTL PROGRAMS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG PREL TBIO TPHY TRGY TSPA KGHG KFLU KS
SUBJECT: SEOUL ESTH UPDATE - MAY 2009 
 
In This Issue 
------------- 
- C40 Large Cities Climate Summit Drafts Seoul Declaration to 
  Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
- First Meeting of East Asia Climate Partnership Focuses on 
  Pilot Projects to Transfer Technology 
- South Korea Completes Its First Tidal Power Plant Pilot 
  Project 
- Seoul City and POSCO Steel Expand Hydrogen Fuel Cell Usage 
- Korea Prepares for First Domestic Space Rocket Launch in 
  Late July 
- Korea's First Polar Icebreaker to Sail for Antarctica in 
  December 
- Korea Develops New Oxide Transistors for Organic Light- 
  Emitting Diode (OLED) Displays 
- H1N1 Flu Tally Grows to 46; Students Returning from U.S. a 
  Cause for Concern 
- Korea's Steep Increase in Hepatitis A Infections 
 
----------- 
ENVIRONMENT 
----------- 
 
C40 Large Cities Climate Summit Drafts Seoul Declaration to Cut 
Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
----------------------------- ------------------------------ 
¶1.  The third biennial summit of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership 
Group, held in Seoul from May 18-21, reviewed progress that cities 
have made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and assessed future 
challenges.  At the summit, mayors and officials from the world's 40 
biggest cities plus 17 affiliate municipalities adopted a "Seoul 
Declaration" whereby they agreed to create "low-carbon cities by 
cutting greenhouse gas emissions to the largest extent possible 
[and] by adapting themselves to unavoidable climate change 
consequences..."  The Annex to the Declaration spells out specific 
policies and measures cities can take to address climate change, 
such as using a Measurement Tool developed by the Clinton Climate 
Initiative to calculate a baseline inventory of emissions. 
 
¶2.  Leaders of the world's large cities -- including London, New 
York, Paris, Tokyo, and Toronto -- as well as former U.S. President 
Bill Clinton spoke at the forum to emphasize the role that cities 
can play in the fight against climate change.  Former President 
Clinton emphasized the urgency for both national and municipal 
governments to act on climate change.  He stated that the issue is 
as much economic as environmental.  "Inaction," he said, will 
eventually cause "enormously expensive measures that can be avoided 
if we act now." 
 
¶3.  The C40 group was established in London in 2005.  A second 
summit was held in New York in 2007.  The next C40 summit will be 
held in 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. 
 
First Meeting of East Asia Climate Partnership Focuses on Pilot 
Projects to Transfer Technology 
------------------------------- ------------------------------ 
¶4.  On May 29 in Seoul, the Korean government held the first meeting 
of the East Asia Climate Partnership it has established to discuss 
and develop models of "low-carbon and green growth."  President Lee 
Myung-bak first announced the Partnership in July 2008 to assist 
developing countries in Asia in their efforts to mitigate global 
warming through the transfer of new technologies.  Korea has 
 
SEOUL 00000951  002 OF 004 
 
 
committed to providing USD 200 million in Overseas Direct Assistance 
through the Partnership to be used to implement pilot projects for 
climate change mitigation and adaptation and to finance purchase of 
successful technologies. 
 
¶5.  The meeting was attended by some 60 high level officials from 
Korea, China, Mongolia, the ASEAN countries, the Central Asian 
countries of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, 
as well as the Asian Development Bank and the UN Environmental 
Program.  Officials at the meeting adopted the "Seoul Initiative for 
Low Carbon Green Growth in East Asia" and discussed the initial 17 
projects, several of which will be implemented in Vietnam, Mongolia, 
and Nepal.  The projects range from the fabrication of solar voltaic 
grids to the development and construction of "smart buildings" that 
can monitor their own energy usage and automatically turn lighting 
and appliances on and off. 
 
¶6.  The meeting of the East Asia Climate Partnership preceded and 
was held in conjunction with the Korea-ASEAN Summit held from June 
1-2 on Jeju Island.  At the end of the Summit, the leaders of Korea 
and the ten ASEAN nations said in a joint statement that they agreed 
to cooperate in improving energy efficiency and in diversifying 
energy sources into nuclear power, hydropower, solar, and 
bio-energy. 
 
South Korea Completes Its First Tidal Power Plant Pilot Project 
------------------------------ ------------------------ 
¶7.  The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) said 
on May 15 that the country has completed its first tidal power 
station, a pilot project using tidal stream technology that draws 
energy from currents in much the same way as wind turbines do. 
According to the MLTM press release, the tidal power plant was 
completed in Jindo, South Jeolla Province, using domestically 
developed technology at a total project cost of 12.5 billion won 
(USD 10 million).  MLTM said that the one megawatt plant should be 
able to generate electricity for 430 households annually.  If 
successful, its capacity will be expanded to 90 MW by 2013, which 
would be enough to supply electricity for about 46,000 households. 
 
Seoul City and POSCO Steel Expand Hydrogen Fuel Cell Usage 
-------------------------------- ------------------------- 
¶8.  The Pohang Steel Company (POSCO) held on May 15 a ceremony to 
mark the completion of a hydrogen fuel cell power station in Seoul. 
The 2.4 megawatt plant is capable of generating sufficient 
electricity to supply 3200 households and enough hot water to 
provide heating for 1000 households, the company said.  The plant 
will be operated by the company's energy subsidiary, POSCO Power. 
POSCO also signed a memorandum of understanding with Seoul city to 
expand the use of its hydrogen fuel cell generators in Seoul. 
According to the Seoul city government, hydrogen fuel cells will 
account for 30 percent of alternative energy sources used in the 
city by 2020. 
 
---------------------- 
Science and Technology 
---------------------- 
 
Korea Prepares for First Domestic Space Rocket Launch in Late July 
------------------------------ ------------------------------ 
¶9.  The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said on June 2 
that the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has 
been conducting final tests on mock-ups of the Korea Space Launch 
 
SEOUL 00000951  003 OF 004 
 
 
Vehicle-I (KSLV-1) rocket, ahead of the planned late July launch of 
a rocket carrying a Korean-made satellite into space.  The rocket 
will be assembled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla 
Province.  The two-stage rocket has been developed jointly by 
Russia's Khrunichev State Space Science and Production Center and 
KARI.   The liquid-fuel lower part of the rocket, which was 
developed by the Khrunichev Center, will be delivered to Korea from 
Russia in June.  It will be attached to the solid-fuel upper part, 
which was developed by the KARI.  The rocket will carry a 
100-kilogram scientific satellite, developed by the Korea Advanced 
Institute of Science and Technology and the Gwangju Institute of 
Science and Technology. 
 
¶10.  The KSLV-1 will be the first space rocket to be launched from 
South Korean soil.  The vehicle weighs 140 tons, measures 33.5 
meters in length and 2.9 meters in diameter. It will have a thrust 
of 170 tons.  Korea is making plans to launch a 1.5 ton 
multi-purpose commercial satellite on a fully indigenous rocket, 
named KSLV-2, possibly in 2018. 
 
Korea's First Polar Icebreaker to Sail for Antarctica in December 
------------------------------ -------------------------- 
¶11.  The Korea Polar Research Institute said in a May 19 press 
statement that it had completed recruiting the key crew members of 
Korea's first domestically produced icebreaking research vessel. 
The Araon is a 6.950-ton icebreaker designed for operation in ice up 
to one meter in thickness at a speed of three knot per hour.  She is 
equipped with twin Azimuth propulsion thruster units and boasts a 
helicopter, barge, and workboat as part of her heavy equipment.  The 
25 officers and crew and 60 researchers will have use of the Araon's 
laboratories and computer suites to conduct surveys, long-term 
observations, and oceanographic, acoustic, and geophysical research. 
Production of the Araon will be completed by the end of September; 
it is scheduled to set sail for Antarctica in December this year. 
("Araon" combines the Korean words "ara" (sea) and "on" (all) to 
signify Korea's ability to cruise all the seas of the world.) 
 
¶12.  The Korean government hopes the research vessel will enhance 
Korea's research capability in the polar region and evaluate the 
proposed location for the construction of Korea's second research 
station in the Antarctic.  Currently, Korea operates one permanent 
station in the Antarctic, the King Sejong on King George Island. 
Korea also maintains research facilities, the Dasan, in Ny-Alesund, 
Svalbard Islands in the Arctic. 
 
Korea Develops New Oxide Transistors for Organic Light-Emitting 
Diode (OLED) Displays 
------------------------------ ------------------------ 
¶13.  According to local news media reports of May 26, a research 
team at the state-run Electronics and Telecommunications Research 
Institute (ETRI) has developed a transparent, oxide transistor that 
will enhance the operational stability and optical qualities of 
organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.  OLEDs are made of a 
thin film of organic molecules layered onto a polymer surface that 
emit light of various wavelengths according to the arrangement of 
the molecules.  They are typically used in television screens, 
computer monitors, cell phone displays, and digital camera displays. 
 OLEDs can be printed onto flexible substrates, opening the door to 
new applications such as roll-up displays and displays embedded in 
clothing.  Theoretically, OLEDs can be used as a light source for 
general space illumination and may one day replace incandescent 
lighting. 
 
SEOUL 00000951  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶14.  The basic technology for OLEDs was developed by Eastman Kodak 
Company.  Sony produced the first OLED television for commercial 
sale in 2007.  Korea's Samsung SDI currently is the world's largest 
OLED manufacturer and holds the largest number of OLED-related 
patents. 
 
------ 
Health 
------ 
 
H1N1 Flu Tally Grows to 46; Students Returning from U.S. a Cause for 
Concern 
---------------------------- ------------------------------ 
¶15.  As of June 7, the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) has 
confirmed 6 cases of H1N1 influenza infections in the country. 
Among them were 18 American citizen English language teacher 
recruits who have all been treated with Tamiflu and released from 
the isolation wards of local hospitals.  Among the most recent cases 
have been at least six Korean students returning from studies in the 
United States.  Approximately 120,000 Korean students attend schools 
in the United States, and many of them will return to Korea in June 
for summer vacation.  The good news is that the disease appears to 
be much less serious around the world than when it first appeared in 
Mexico in April. 
 
Korea's Steep Increase in Hepatitis A Infections 
----------------------------- ------------------ 
¶16.  According to recent data released by the KCDC, Hepatitis A 
infection in Korea has surged in recent years and especially in the 
first five months of 2009.  Following the rapid economic development 
of the 1980s and 1990s, incidence of the disease was practically 
negligible - only 105 cases in the entire country in 2001.   But in 
2002 that number tripled to 317.  That number more than doubled to 
798 reported cases by 2005.  In 2006, the number of cases jumped to 
¶2081.  In 2008, the incidence of Hepatitis A infections skyrocketed 
to 7895 cases and to 4231 reported cases in the first five months of 
¶2009. 
 
¶17.  The disease is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. 
Ironically, the KCDC cited improved sanitary conditions as a 
possible explanation for the increase.  It said that when Korea was 
less developed, people were exposed to the disease in their infancy 
or childhood (when symptoms are less severe) and gained lifelong 
immunity from the exposure.  With improved sanitation and hygiene, 
however, an increasing number of people have their first contact 
with the virus as adults.  About 80 percent of infections in recent 
years have been reported by people in their 20s and 30s, a statistic 
which supports this theory.  Other experts quoted in the media 
speculate that growing numbers of affluent young adult Korean 
tourists are carrying the virus back from developing countries in 
Asia and Africa where sanitary conditions are poorer and the disease 
is more prevalent. 
STANTON