SEOUL, June 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Friday announced a plan to increase eco-friendly cars to 30 percent of the combined newly-released vehicles by 2020 as part of efforts to reduce the country's fine dust to European levels. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn chaired a meeting with top officials from relevant ministries, including ministries of environment, finance, industry and transport. According to the joint statement released after the meeting, Seoul plans to raise the ratio of eco-friendly cars, including electric vehicles, to the total new cars to 30 percent by 2020. The target is estimated at about 480,000 vehicles. The number of recharging stations for electric vehicles would be increased to 3,100, or 25 percent of the country's gas stations nationwide. Benefits would be provided for the owners of environment-friendly vehicles, including a cut in expressway tolls and public parking rates. The measures came amid rising calls to tackle the fine dust, which has increased health problems especially from respiratory organs. Fine dust refers to particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter, with ultra-fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers. The government aims to reduce the country's fine dust to the level in major European cities in the next 10 years, including Paris with 18 micrograms per cubic meter and London with 15 micrograms. It targets the fine dust level in Seoul at 18 micrograms by 2026. Seoul's fine dust stood at 23 micrograms in 2015. To achieve the goal, the government will limit the entry of vehicles causing air pollution, such as decrepit diesel-powered cars, into downtown areas. The designation of so-called low emission zone (LEZ) will be expanded to control the entry of diesel vehicles. Old diesel cars, which were rolled out before 2005, would be subject to an early scrap by 2019. All of commercial buses would be replaced with eco-friendly ones powered by compressed natural gas in a gradual manner. Ten coal-powered thermal power plants would be shut down or replaced with environmentally friendly ones powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Factories subject to restrictions on the total amount of air pollutants emission would be increased, while tightening the air pollutant restrictions in a gradual basis. The hike in diesel prices and the so-called environment-improving charges, advocated by the environment ministry, were excluded from the measures on worries about public backlash. But, various benefits provided for diesel car owners would be rolled back.
On Friday, South Korea announced plans to have 30% of the vehicles on the nation by 2030, up from 10% now.