Management of Municipal Solid Waste in Korea

Abstract

The Republic of Korea (ROK) has small land area and high population. ROK has diverse natural habitats and abundant biodiversity because ROK is located in the Korean Peninsula with four distinct seasons and 65.4 % of land is covered with forests and trees. The total land size of ROK extends to 223,343 km² and the territory of the Republic of Korea is 100,210 km² excluding the area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The population of ROK in 2010 is about 50 million and the population density is 499/km², which is equivalent to 0.002 km² per capita (world’s 3rd smallest). The capital city of ROK is Seoul and about 46 % of population occupies Seoul metropolitan area which is only 11.8 % of total land area. And the number of foreign residents, which is about 1.2 million, has sharply increased in recent years.