Asbestos — a class-1 carcinogen and a relic of an era when past governments rushed to modernize the country using hazardous materials — still lingers in communities across South Korea, threatening public health. Gangneung, in Gangwon Province, has launched another major removal drive.
The most common form of residential asbestos is slate roofing. When the saemaul movement pushed to replace thatched-roof homes and widen village roads, asbestos-containing slate became the go-to substitute building material.
"You still have a thatched roof? We have a slate house." In an era of ignorance, some families took pride in their slate homes, which at a glance resembled tiled roofs, unaware that their health was quietly being damaged. As slate ages, it releases fibers into the air that penetrate the respiratory system with increasing severity.
The WHO has designated asbestos a class-1 carcinogen. Prolonged exposure can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and a range of other respiratory diseases, making safe removal and disposal critical.
Near a Busan asbestos factory, 14 residents developed malignant mesothelioma or lung cancer and two died. In a separate case, a military communications soldier and an officer who worked with asbestos-related materials for six years later died of lung cancer.
Reports indicate that large numbers of people nationwide have suffered from lung disease, mesothelioma and lung cancer linked to slate buildings. South Korea did not ban asbestos outright until 2009 — a delay widely seen as a mark of underdevelopment — and the fact that asbestos has still not been fully removed compounds that legacy.
While cities such as Gangneung have taken the initiative to remove it, calls are growing for the central government to recognize the gravity of the remaining asbestos problem and take a more active role in eliminating it from everyday living environments.
Gangneung completed the removal of slate roofing from 2,739 buildings through last year. This year, the city plans to allocate 440 million won ($310,000) to support removal from 114 buildings, including residential homes. As of now, 79 buildings have been processed.
Support is capped at 4 million won per residential building and up to 5 million won for non-residential structures such as warehouses and livestock facilities. Vulnerable households are eligible for full coverage of demolition costs as well as roof replacement expenses.
The program also covers the separate disposal of abandoned slate materials left behind after building demolitions or found at vacant properties, which officials expect will help prevent safety hazards and environmental contamination.
Applications are accepted at the community service center in the district where the building is located, until the budget runs out. Further details are available on the Gangneung city government website or by contacting the Resource Circulation Division or local community service centers.
Kim Dong-kwan, head of Gangneung's Resource Circulation Division, urged building owners to take part. "This project is designed to protect residents' health and improve their living environment, so we hope owners of eligible buildings will participate actively," he said. "We will continue to push ahead with slate removal support to create a safer living environment."
abc@heraldcorp.com
