남북한 폐기물 처리 협력을 위한 법제 고찰

Inadequate waste management poses urgent issues due to its significant impacts on ecological environments and human health. Consequently, global attention has shifted from mere ‘waste disposal’ to a more comprehensive concept of ‘resource circulation.’ For effective waste management on the Korean Peninsula, it is essential to examine the representative legal frameworks of both South and North Korea and explore potential avenues for cooperation. This study identifies shared challenges by comparing and analyzing four key waste management laws from both sides that carry a foundational relevant. To facilitate cooperative legal frameworks on waste management between the Koreas, this paper proposes three essential elements: promoting academic exchange for the integration of waste management systems and terminology, incorporating the international shift from ‘waste management’ to ‘resource circulation’ and establishing a sustainable, mutually beneficial environmental and economic structure between South and North Korea. Given the prolonged sanctions on North Korea, further research should analyze cases of waste management cooperation among countries with economies similar in scale to North Korea. By drawing insights from challenges encountered in these exchanges, researchers can develop legally responsive approaches for inter-Korean collaboration.