Military, civic groups to form environmental council

As part of efforts to better cope with various environmental problems, the Army will form a joint environmental council with civic groups and sign an agreement at Kyeryongdae in Taejon Tuesday, Army officials said Monday. This is the first time that the military and civic groups have set up a joint council aimed at preserving the environment.

To consist of five representatives each from both sides, the council will convene two meetings a year and extend support to one another when environment-related problems arise. They will also carry out joint environmental preservation projects.

The agreement will be signed by Gen. Kim Ki-Sung, director of the Army's munitions and staff department; Park Young-Shin, head of Green Korea United; and Lee Se-Jung, co-head of the Korea Federation for Environmental Movement in a ceremony to be attended by officials from both sides.

Meanwhile, the Army plans to invest about 200 billion won by the year 2004 to establish sewage treatment facilities in each military unit, and deploy officials and soldiers by 2003 to take full charge of environmental problems in the military.