KFEM was founded in April 1993. This relatively short history was, however, preceded by a decade-long history of environmental movement. Mr.Choi Yul was a democratic movement leader in university, and was later imprisoned for his activism against the dictatorial government during the late 1970s. During the six years he spent in prison, he read extensively about environmental issues. After he was released, he founded the first environmental non- governmental organization in South Korea,the Korean Research Institute of Environmental Problems (KRIEP), in response to widespread pollution caused by the nation's rapid industrialization.

The Institute inspired people to demand their rights to a healthy environment. It succeeded in evacuating communities of 40,000 people affected by an illness caused by toxic wastes from a nonferrous metal industrial complex in the coastal city of Onsan. Environmental issues became critical strongholds in the democracy movement that paved the way for a civilian government.

In 1988, the KRIEP merged with two other environmental groups and established the Korean Anti-Pollution Movement Association (KAPMA)and Mr. Choi became the president of the KAPMA. The KAPMA actively participated in every environmental struggle from 1988 to 1992. It fought against the government's attempts to construct nuclear waste storage sites, the dust contamination from coal briquette plants, the destruction of mountains to make golf courses and the reclamation of coastal tidal-flats.

Since South Korea is highly dependent upon nuclear power, KAPMA informed the Korean public about the problems with nuclear power plants and nuclear waste disposal. Tens of thousands of people participated in rallies and signed petitions protesting the construction of new nuclear plants and nuclear waste storage sites. In 1990, a demonstration of 20,000 people stopped a nuclear waste facility plan for Anmyon-do Island. In 1991, The KAPMA organized massive campaigns to protest the toxic spill from an electronics company that contaminated the drinking water of two million people in Daegu City. This incident served as a warning to government and industry of the people's concern for the environment.

In 1993, KAPMA united with seven local environmental groups to launch the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM),Korea's largest environmental organization, and Mr.Choi became its secretary general. KFEM has initiated a consumers' boycott of polluting industries, while continuing to oppose Korea's nuclear expansion policies. In 1994, KFEM succeeded in helping to force the cancellation of the plan to construct a nuclear waste storage facility on Gulup island.

After participating the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio De Janeiro in 1992, KFEM became more involved in global environmental issues, such as depletion of the ozone layer, deforestration, biodiversity and climate change.

Now KFEM has grown as the biggest and the most influential NGO in Korea, with its 85,000 members and 47 local branches working on various types of environmental issues. Acting as an information clearing house, It collects, studies and disseminates information on global trends to the Korean society and to NGOs throughout the region. KFEM also acts as a role model to other East and Southeast Asian countries' NGOs by sharing our experiences.

From 1998, KFEM has been organizing more international conferences and exchange programs with NGOs from other countries particularly those in the Asia. It is hoped that the cooperation with other environmental groups in Asia will foster stronger international bonds leading to more effective cooperative action on Asian and global environmental issues.

In addition to, KFEM has been involved in many social issues, such as poverty, human rights, womens rights and peace issues. KFEM raised these issues to Korean and International Society participating in the NGO Forum on Women in Beijing, 1995, World Summit for Social Development &NGO Forum in Copenhagen 1995, UN Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul, 1996, and World Summit for Social Development in Geneva, 2000.

Chronological history of KFEM

May 1982	Launch of the Korean Research Institute of Environmental Problems
1984	Research into the links between Onsan Disease and factories in the Onsan Petroleum and Chemical Industrial Complex and related campaign
1988	Establishment of the Korean Anti-Pollution Movement Association
1989	Campaign against construction of Yongkwang Nuclear Power Plants 11 &12
Apr 1990	Organizing of the 20th Anniversary of Earth Day
1990	Campaign against construction of a nuclear waste dump on Anmyon Island
1991	Campaign against pollution of the Nakdong River caused by phenol emissions, including a boycott of Dusan products
Apr 1991	Establishment of the Environmental Law Counselling Center
Jun 1991	Campaign against construction of the Samchuk nuclear power plant
Jun 1992	Establishment of the Korean committee for UNCED, and participation in the Global Forum at Rio
Mar 1993	Launch of the Citizens' Institute for Environmental Studies
Apr 1993	Establishment of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement
Jul 1993	Publication of the first edition of the monthly magazine <Environmental Movement>
Sep 1993	Hosting of an environmental exhibition at the Daejeon Expo, attended by 20,000 people
Dec 1993	Launch of an Environmental Correspondents Group comprising taxi drivers
Jan 1994	Campaign over pollution of the Nakdong River
Apr 1994	Joint research with Greenpeace into forest destruction in Siberia by the Hyundai Group
Apr 1994	Joint KFEM-Greenpeace national anti-nuclear campaign
Jun 1994	KFEM Secretaty General, Choi Yul, receives 'Global 500' Environmental Award from UN
Jun 1994	Research and monitoring of the Han river conducted with the Monitoring Committee to save the Han River
Jul 1994	Research on environmental standards violations by companies and products boycott campaign against 24 listed companies
Oct 1994	Campaign against ski slope construction on Mt. Dukyu
Nov 1994	Launch of the Anti-Nuclear Movement Secretariat for a Nuclear Free Society
Dec 1994	Campaign against construction of a nuclear waste dump on Gulup Island (the proposal for the dump was cancelled in November 1995)
Jan 1995	Establishment of the 'Environmental Information' Database service
Jan 1995	Launch of Green Life Movement by Hankuk Daily newspaper and KFEM
Feb 1995	Establishment of the Citizens' Information Center for Environment
Mar 1995	Participation in the World Sumit for Social Development(WSSD) in Copenhagen as a representative of Korea
Apr 1995	Secretary General, Choi Yul, receives prestigous Goldman Environmental Prize
May 1995	Campaign against French nuclear tests in the South-Pacific Oct 1995 Hosting of an environmental workshop for skill sharing with environmental groups in Asia and Greenpeace
Dec 1995	Campaign against construction of a coal-fired power plant on Youngheung Island
Mar 1996	Participation in the sixth conference of parties to the Ramsar Convention in Brisbane, Australia, as a representative of Korea
Apr 1996	Campaign over pollution in Siwha Lake
Jul 1996	Campaign against construction of Haein Golf Course in the Kaya Mountain National Park (by November 1996 more than one million people had signed a petition opposing golf course construction)
Jul 1996	Activity over a spill of 700 tons of crude oil from LGs Sea Prince
Sep 1996	Participation in the Beijing Womens Forum as a representative of Korea
Oct 1996	Campaign to revise the Law on Hot Springs and the Regulation on Drinking Water
Nov 1996	Joint research with Greenpeace into the illegal trade in whale products
Nov 1996	Campaign to protect wildlife on Jiri Mountain
Jan 1997	Launch of the campaign against nuclear waste transportation from Taiwan to North Korea (the proposal to transport nuclear waste was abandoned in December 1997)
Apr 1997	Participation in the fifth Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)in New York
May 1997	Campaign to reduce household waste by half
Nov 1997	Launch of a campaign against fur coats
Nov 1997	Participation in the third conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) in Kyoto
Feb 1998	Launch of the campaign against construction of a dam on the Dong River (the dam proposal was cancelled on June 5,2000)
Mar 1998	Campaign against Japanese importation of plutonium from France
Apr 1998	Activity over water pollution in the Paldang reservoir
May 1998	Launch of the Alternative Energy Forum for sustainable energy systems
Jun 1998	Accreditation to the UN ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) with Special Status
Jul 1998	Exchange program with environmental groups in Mongolia
Jul 1998	Campaign against endocrine disrupting hormones and GMOs
Aug 1998	Joint investigation into tropical forests fires by KFEM and WALHI, an Indonesian NGO
Sep 1998	Launch of the campaign against the Saemangum wetlands reclamation project
Sep 1998	International symposium on the 'Convention on Climate Change and the Roles of NGOs in Developing Countries'
Nov 1998	Campaign against the dismantling of green belt areas
Nov 1998	Participation in the fourth conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) in Buenos Aires
Dec 1998	Membership of KFEM climbs above 50,000
Mar 1999	Launch of the Nation-wide Campaign Committee for Saving Water
Apr 1999	Organizing of a Car-free Day celebrating the 29th Anniversary of Earth Day
May 1999	Participation in the seventh conference of parties to the Ramsar Convention as a representative of Korea (in Costa Rica)
Jun 1999	Campaign against the shipping of plutonium to Japan (KFEM and Greenpeace)
Jul 1999	Activity with other civil groups for the introduction of an independent prosecutor system Oct 1999 Field visit and research on wetlands in Britain (at the invitation of the British Royal Family)
Nov 1999	Participation in the fifth conference of parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) in Bonn
Dec 1999	Hosting of an International environmental NGOs symposium on dams
Feb 2000	Launch of the Public Center for Environmental Law and the Environmental Education Center
Feb 2000	Activity on political reforms through the Citizens Alliance for the 16th General Election by April,2000
Apr 2000	Organising of 'Every Day, Earth Day' to celebratethe 30th Earth Day
May 2000	Participation in Millenium Forum in NewYork, UN as a representative of Korea
May 2000	Establishment of the 'Government Policy Review Committee' for Green Politics
Jun 2000	Participation in the World Sumit for Social Development+5 as a representative of Korea (in Geneva)

STOP (Stop Saemangeum Reclamation Project) campaign
by KFEM members at Saemangeum in July 2001


Anti-Campaign by Participants of Global Greens 2001
on Saemangeum Reclamation Project, Canberra, Australia, April 2001

The statue of General Lee in GwanghwaMun is covered with
a face mask to highlight Seoul's
air pollution problems.
Part of a campaign over air pollution
organized by KFEM in November 1994. Photo by Suk Dong il

Campaign to stop French nuclear tests
on Mururoa Island in the South Pacific
in September 1995.
KFEM members occupied
the French Cultural Council to Korea
and were subsequently prosecuted.
Photo by Choi Ye yong, KFEM

33-day all 24 hour campaign to stop construction of a dam on the Dong River