KOREA FOUNDATION

[Letter from a KF Visiting Fellow] Circular Economy as Prominent Catalyst towards the Sustainable Development of Korea

Hi there! Beginning in April 2019, I spent a six-month postdoc stay as a KF Field Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Public Health at Seoul National University (SNU), hosted by Professor Cho Youngtae. My activities consisted of both desk and field research to collect data, predominantly during six events taking place at the KINTEX and COEX exhibition centers. I enjoyed the field research more than the desk work, as personal interviews provided sensational input from the point of view of companies and public entities. As a result of the KF Field Research Fellowship, I produced a 150-page report and an article titled “Latest circular economy policy and direction in the Republic of Korea: Room for enhancements” published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in July 2020.

In terms of leisure time — besides the wonderful trip spent with the KF officials and the rest of the fellows — I had time to visit different regions such as Incheon, Daegu, Busan, Jinju, Jeju Island, and the DMZ, not to mention my explorations of pretty much every corner of the capital, including beautiful temples, gorgeous landscapes, huge malls, impressive amusement parks, interesting museums, thrilling football/baseball/eSports events, an exciting shooting range, and even a Twice (K-pop music group) concert.

I have worked in Spain, Portugal, Japan, Argentina, Viet Nam, and the Netherlands, and I had by far the best time in Korea. It was one of the most productive experiences in terms of scientific outcomes as well. If you are a scholar looking to enjoy a favorable research environment, generous support from the KF staff, an unbeatable quality of living, and delicious kimchi, then you should apply for the KF Field Research Fellowship.

Undoubtedly, the topic of circular economy is quite broad, and additional specific issues beg to be addressed, such as the role of chaebols (large industrial conglomerates) in sustainable product design, or how to tackle high CO2 emissions with recent policies related to circularity. I would like to keep conducting research to support the promising bilateral circular economy business opportunities between the EU and Korea, which will be a highly beneficial catalyst towards the sustainable development of the country in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Universidad de JaenManuel Herrador (Spain)

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