Tower is planned to measure air pollution in Seoul

The Ministry of Environment reported Tuesday that it will begin building an observation tower next year in Seoul to measure the vertical distribution of air pollutants in the city. The ministry said it would spend 8 billion won ($6.2 million) on the planned 100-meter-high tower. A high-speed elevator and instruments for measuring pollution would be installed in the tower, which the ministry said it plans to open to tourists.

More than 200 automated devices measure air, water and noise pollution nationwide. But they are only capable of measuring concentrations near ground level, ministry officials said.

"The existing facilities are insufficient for accurately measuring how taller buildings are affected by the movement of air pollutants," an official of the ministry said. While the ministry has used balloons and laser beams to measure the vertical distribution of pollutants, those methods are costly and provide inconsistent measurements.

Environment Ministry officials, Seoul city officials and officials from the Ministry of Planning and Budget are discussing where the tower should be built. The Environment Ministry said a lot in Yongsan, central Seoul, is a strong candidate because of the relatively open spaces in the area.

A similar 200-meter-high tower was built at Tsukuba Science City, 60 kilometers north of Tokyo, Japan, to assist universities and government institutions in their research on air pollution.

by Kang Chan-su