Koreans, Chinese battle yellow dust

To reduce the harm created by yellow dust, a group of Korean and Chinese students have worked together to protect nature by planting more trees.
Last Saturday, students from Korea and China were dispatched to the Kubuchi Desert of the Neimenggu district in China, to participate in a tree-planting activity to help stop the shifting of yellow sand. The Kubuchi Desert is known to be the source of yellow dust that affects the Korean Peninsula.
Two hundred students were selected as volunteers to participate in the project to make The Great Wall nature-friendly. The project is co-sponsored by Korea and China ― the Communist Youth League of China, the Neimenggu District, and the Korea-China Future Forest Committee.
The Korean participants arrived in China on May 12 by train, then went to the Kubuchi area, where they met the Chinese students to start the tree-planting activity.
The students were opposed to the viewpoint of China’s former head meteorologist, who said in a speech that, “It is natural for yellow dust to occur ― human beings cannot stop it from occurring.”
Park Cho-rong, a sophomore majoring in agricultural Engineering at Konkuk University, said, “Yellow dust is not a natural phenomena but rather a disaster caused by human beings. Planting just a few trees won’t prevent yellow dust, yet it is our responsibility to restore the desert with greenery.”
Another student, Xin Bo-khang, is studying Korean at the Beijing Language and Culture University.
“Because yellow dust raised from desertification has destroyed the environment over the past generations, it is now our responsibility to help prevent the disaster for the betterment of the next generation,” Xin said.
Students from both countries said planting trees will not bring an immediate change, but continuing efforts will eventually lead to a better environment in the future.
Xiao Wi, also studying Korean at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said, “Even though China has no major responsibility for yellow dust, I was moved by the efforts that the Korean students were making over this issue. Every individual should participate in planting trees; it will eventually slow down the pace of desertification.”
Seo Woo-deok, a junior at Chung-Ang University studying engineering, said, “Our little efforts put together will bring noticeable change in the future, just like the butterfly effect connotes.”
A junior at Gyeongin National University of Education, Min Ah-hyun, said, “If we Koreans, the victims of yellow dust, work to save the environment, it will raise more public awareness in China, and they too will understand the importance of protecting their own environment.”
Students said that by contributing to this environmental work, they will learn the importance of nature, and in the long-term, help promote the relationship between Korea and China.
Kwon Byung-hyun, the former Korean Ambassador to the Republic of China, has been actively supporting Korea’s participation in this project.
“China has the second largest area of desert, and a large part of it is totally abandoned,” Kwon said.
“This is not just a problem for China, but a global one. It is especially a challenge for Korea.”
Hu Chun-hwa, the first secretary of the Communist Youth League of China, also participated in the project.
Tang Beu-Wian, the vice-secretary of the Communist Youth League of China, was impressed by the effort.
“When Korean students have come all the way to China to prevent yellow dust by planting trees, Chinese should not stand still. I promise that China will actively take part in this project to prevent yellow dust from destroying nature.”

By Chang Se-jeong JoongAng Ilbo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]