03/04/2016
On 13 April 2015, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has awarded the Medal for Environment Achivement to Mr. Jung Gun Young, Director of Viet Nam - Korea Environmental Cooperation Center (VKECC) for contribution on construction and development of the natural resources and environment sector in the period of 2010 - 2015. On this occasion, Viet Nam Environment Magazine (VEM) had a conversation with Mr. Jung Gun Young on the relationship of sustainable development and friendly cooperation between Viet Nam and Korea.
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| Mr. Jung Gun Young, Director of Viet Nam - Korea Environmental Cooperation Center(VKECC) |
* Firstly, congratulation to you for being awarded with the MONRE Minister’s Medal. Could you please share with us some contributions provided to promote the cooperation between the 2 countries in the fields of environment recently.
Mr. Jung Gun Young: As you know, Viet Nam - Korea Environmental Cooperation Center (VKECC) is an initiative funded by Korea Ministry of Environment (KMoE) in 2006 to promote environmental business cooperation between the 2 countries. At the beginning VKECC was run by Korea Environmental Association, a Korean non-governmental organization. In 2011, to expand the scope of its activities and supports provided to relevant stakeholders, the operation of VKECC was transferred to Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Industry (KEITI), a governmental body belonging to KMoE. VKECC is here to provide supports upon the request of relevant Korean and Vietnamese stakeholders for the strengthening of bilaterally environmental cooperation between the 2 Governments and building up a strong environmental business network to promote environmental investment between the 2 countries. Appointed as the VKECC’s Director cum Chief Representative of KEITI in Viet Nam since early 2012, I always try my best to explore every chance and opportunity to fulfill my duties in Viet Nam.
*Being a focal point representing for the mutual cooperation between the 2 countries in the fields of environment, what are the key activities implemented by VKECC to explore the potential trade and cooperation in the environmental fields between the 2 countries?
Mr. Jung Gun Young: With the focuses on strengthening bilateral cooperation in environmental fields and creation of cooperation networks between enterprises of the 2 contries, VKECC has offered many services and supports to both Korean and Vietnamese institutions, companies and experts since its establishment and operation in Viet Nam. Aiming at the promotion of Korean environmental technologies in Viet Nam market, until now, KMoE has provided the non-refundable fund of approximate 3 million USD through KEITI for Korean and Vietnamese institutions and enterprises to implement 12 projects in Viet Nam in the environment related to water supply, wastewater management, pollution control, clean and renewable energy, etc. As evaluated by Vietnamese beneficiaries, these projects have contributed to solve their environmental problems and improve environmental services at local level. On the other hand, the performance of these projects also helped to confirm that Korean environmental technologies are suitable and affordable to Viet Nam’s context, as well as to prove Korean companies’ capacity and proficiency in the fields of environmental technologies. Besides, KMoE has also actively supported on the exchange of environmental knowledge, experiences and experts to help Viet Nam in the strengthening of its institutional and technical capacity serving for environmental governance such as the revision of Viet Nam Law on Environment Protection (2013 - 2014), the development of Viet Nam’s Master Plan on Green Growth (2013 - 2015), offering scholarship program to Vietnamese officials in various line ministries of Viet Nam for their master degree study in famous universities in Republic of Korea, etc.
*South Korea is a developed country now, could you please share with us some good Korean experiences which are valuable to the environment management activities in Viet Nam currently?
Mr. Jung Gun Young: As Viet Nam, South Korea had been facing many environmental challenges when it was experiencing at the time being a low middle income country in 1980s. However, recognized that environment protection would be a peremptory necessity to ensure the country sustainable development, Korean Government had conclusively applied comprehensive reforms in terms of environmental policy framework and administration system to deal with environmental issues. The establishment of General Department of Environment under direct management of Prime Minister Office in 1990 upgraded to become KMoE in 1994 had showed a strong political will of Korean Government to boost its efforts allocated for the improvement of the country environment. The application of polluter payed principle in every sector of the economy and social development process, and the encouragement of private sectors to participate in environmental protection initiatives and activities has also played a key role to help Korean government in mobilizing necessary resources required for the improvement of the country’s environment conditions. Thanks to these proper policies, KMoE has gained significant achievements over 3 last decades to contribute in making South Korea from a low middle income country facing with many environmental problems in early 1980s to become one of G20 member with sound environmental management administration system. Viet Nam is now experiencing the socio-economic development process to reach goal of making the country to become an industrialized country in 2030. I am quite sure that the exchange of Korean experiences under the programs implemented by VKECC will contribute in the Vietnamese Government efforts to solve environmental challenges and to improve Viet Nam environmental conditions for its sustainable development.
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The workshop introducing new Korean environmental technologies held by VKECC in Ha Noi |
*Could you please share the difficulties and the advantages you are facing during your working time in Viet Nam?
Mr. Jung Gun Young: I think, Viet Nam has many similarities with South Korea in many aspects from daily family life to business culture. I really respect the way Vietnamese people show their kindness and considerateness to their partners, colleagues and family members, for example, the way you show your sincere thanks and respects to the ancestors, seniors, teachers and the way Vietnamese parents devote their life for their children bright future. All these are very similar to our Korean culture. This helps me a lot in understanding of Vietnamese working culture in order to facilitate my work performance here. However, I am also facing with many difficulties in learning Vietnamese policy framework and legislation system in various fields to provide proper consultations and advices to Korean companies as it is complicated with too much administrative procedures and not very stable.
* Do you have any proposal or suggestion for strengthening environmental cooperation activities between the 2 countries in the future?
Mr Jung Gun Young: Viet Nam and Korea has now maintained strategic partnership and we have just signed FTA in early May, 2015. Accordingly, the economic development of both 2 countries will be surely contributed a lot. It also an ideal opportunity for strengthening mutual cooperation between the 2 countries in the fields of environment to improve environmental conditions in Viet Nam and South Korea, as well as global environment. Viet Nam has many advantages, especially its energetic and young population,and high potential to join leading group in ASEAN, even in the world. Deeply understanding each other and promoting cooperation programs based on win-win principle will help to strengthen the environmental cooperative activities between Viet Nam and South Korea. Two Goverments are now maintaining the organization of annual Environment Ministerial Meeting in order to yearly review cooperation achievements and to exchange new cooperation concepts and ideas regularly. Under this modality, I am quite sure that there will be many fruitful outcomes born in near future. Finally, I would like to say that Viet Nam is my second home country. I therefore will do my best to contribute to my two hometown's continuous development.
P. Tuyen
