On the 30th, the Korea Meteorological Administration published the '2024 Global Atmospheric Monitoring Report,' announcing that last year's background concentration of carbon dioxide in the Korean Peninsula reached a record high since observations began.
According to the report, last year's domestic carbon dioxide background concentration recorded 430.7 ppm at Anmyeondo, and 429.0 ppm and 428.0 ppm at Gosan and Ulleungdo, respectively, all exceeding previous highs, with Anmyeondo showing an increase of 3.1 ppm compared to 2023, marking the second largest annual increase over the recent decade (2015-2024). Gosan and Ulleungdo showed increases of 2.9 ppm and 2.4 ppm, respectively, compared to the previous year.
Previously, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced in April of this year that the average global background concentration of carbon dioxide last year was 422.8 ppm, an increase of 3.4 ppm compared to the previous year, marking the largest annual increase over the last decade.
Meanwhile, last year's background concentrations of methane, nitrous oxide, and sulfur hexafluoride also reached record highs at all three locations, similar to carbon dioxide. In contrast, other atmospheric monitoring elements observed on the Korean Peninsula last year, such as aerosols, reactive gases in the atmosphere, and precipitation acidity, generally decreased.
Korea Meteorological Administration chief Jang Dong-eun noted, "As the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, we aim to concentrate all our efforts on providing scientific climate change policy information that can serve as the foundation for establishing national climate change response policies," adding, "We will also strengthen our capabilities in tracking sources and analyzing the impacts and effects of climate change-causing substances."