By Min Yea-Ji and Kim Minji

Korea and China have agreed to establish an early warning system to decrease fine dust as well as expand research areas and observation methods in the field under the joint Blue Sky Project.

The agreement came in meetings from Jan. 22-23 on environmental cooperation to fight fine dust held by a bilateral committee and directors-general from the environment ministries of both countries. China will also provide in real time its forecast data on air quality for easier operation of the early warning system.

Furthermore, the Blue Sky Project, which began in May 2017, will be enlarged in scope. Tasked with tracking the traveling and converting process of atmospheric pollution matter generated by major cities in northern China, the project is being operated in Beijing, Baoding, Changdao and Dalian and will be applied to Tangshan and Shenyang from this year.

Additionally, Seoul and Beijing will jointly set up a council of fine dust experts and have their regional governments support related cooperation in the interest of raising quality of life and public health for their citizens.

jesimin@korea.kr