Smog has threatening public health and inflicts damage to national interests for 2 years in South Korean. According to South Korea’s authorities, South Korea has reached “113 micrograms per cubic meter” which is considered much higher levels than recommended levels of the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite growing concerns over public health by the life-threatening severe smog, the issue still remains unresolved. Among many causes that generate particulate matter, a report revealed that China is involved. Therefore, the Korean government and China have to cooperate to solve the environmental catastrophe with a long-term solution called, “the sustainable foreign investment with an environment policy”

 According to the Korean government, 50-70 percent of the air pollutants are attributed to local factors “such as dust from construction sites, exhaust from old diesel cars and the illegal burning of waste, with the remaining 30-50 percent arising from China.” Specifically, Chinese firms that South Korea invested in have increased emissions, which eventually drift back to the peninsula. Such smog generates “10-12 trillion won of damages per year,” on the basis of the assumption that “1 ton of pollutants in the air, such as fine particles, volatile organic compounds, and sulfur oxides, cause damages worth 1.96 million won, 1.75 million won and 800,000 won, respectively” according to Bae Jeong-hwan, an economics professor at Chonnam National University. In addition, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reportedly alerted that ongoing air pollutants will cause “the premature deaths of 6 to 9 million South Koreans and annual economic damage of 2.6 trillion won by 2060,” which will end up creating social and economic costs of $500 per person. 

 Hence, first, the Korean government and the Chinese government should set and toughen an environmental policy on foreign investment to solve smog in South Korea. Specifically, South Korea cannot invest any Chinese firm that violates the environmental policy after they set the policy. For instance, if a Chinese firm that South Korea has invested in emitted exceeded the amount of emissions that may generate particulate matter, South Korea will be banned to invest in that company. 

Secondly, South Korea and Chinese should thoroughly review damages that South Korea had and recover the damages through a summit talk. China has a responsibility to smog generates every year in South Korea as we mentioned above. Therefore, both nations have to thoroughly review damages in South Korea due to fine dust drifted back from China, and South Korea has to claim for the damages to China. 

 The policy will reduce the estimated 10-12 trillion won of annual economic damage from the current environmental catastrophe and prevent it from generating the estimated annual economic damage of 2.6 trillion won by 2060. Hence, the Korean government and China must cooperate to resolve the environment catastrophe with the long-term solution for public health and national interests.