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  This volume is the compilation of the papers submitted by scholars who presented at the international conference co-hosted by the Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and the HK+ National Strategies Research Project Agency in Center for International Area Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, titled “Border and Environment: Supra-National Cooperation and Communication for Reaching Carbon Neutrality,” held in Seoul, South Korea in November 12, 2021. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the conference was devoted to the critical issue of addressing the climate change in the Korean Peninsula with the special focus on how to make possible cooperation between South Korea and North Korea beyond the inter-Korean border, or DMZ. The eight scholars, consisting of four Koreans, an American, a Chinese, a Russian, and a German residing in Japan, discussed various issues on border and environment as well as carbon neutrality. Subsequently, they all agreed to develop their ideas to take the form of research papers, which came to be published in this book.

  HK+ National Strategies Research Project Agency was established in the Center for International Area Studies(CIAS) at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies(HUFS) in 2020 with the approval of the National Research Foundation of Korea. HK+ CIAS has set the agenda as follows: “Searching for the Supra-National Cooperation and Communication: Identifying the Cultural Connections with the Northern Region and Building a Cultural Hub for the Creation of Unification Friendly Circumstances.” Aimed at turning into a world-class think-tank dedicated to expertise on North Korea and the “Northern Region,” defined as the Caucasus region, Central Asia, Far Eastern Europe, Mongolia, Northern-east China, and Russia. HK+ CIAS has the advantage of utilizing CIAS and HUFS’s year long experience on area studies. HUFS is undoubtedly the top university in South Korea for language education and international studies. Since its establishment, HUFS has focused on teaching and training young generations. As one of the main research institution of HUFS, CIAS has been devoted to research and other academic activities with 14 area research institutes under its supervision.

  The co-sponsor Korea Environment Institute (KEI) was originally founded in January 1993 as the Korea Environmental Technology Research Institute (KETRI) as the Korean government affiliated research agency on environmental issues. The organization was reformed and expanded in 1997 to become the Korea Environment Institute. KEI is dedicated to research and policy making regarding the environmental related issues, particularly such crucial topics as sustainable development and carbon neutrality.

  Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on, the year of 2022 will become a turning point for the worldwide effort to stop climate change and achieve carbon neutrality. In addition, we look forward to seeing the strengthening of inter-Korean relations based on their mutual interest in carrying out cooperation to address climate change.We sincerely hope that this volume would contribute to that effort toward the net-zero and carbon neutral Korean Peninsula.

  I would like to thank again every participant of the conference and the authors of the papers presented in this volume. I also hope that the discussion on the issues surrounding border and environment in the Korean Peninsula will lead to better cooperation and communication, eventually allowing us to reach carbon neutrality.

Kang,Jun Young

Head,HK+National Strategies Research Project Agency &

Director,Center for International Area Studies,

                                                                                                   Hankuk University of Foreign Studies