Mapping the characteristics and extent of environmental conflicts related to land use is important for developing regionally specific policies. However, because it is only possible to verify the frequency of conflicts on a specific predetermined subject, it is difficult to determine the various reasons for conflicts in a region. Therefore, this study mapped the current status of regional environmental conflicts in South Korea using a spatial text mining technique, then proposed relevant management policies. The results were obtained by analyzing environmental conflict data extracted from the online agendas of regional environmental organizations. Air quality-related conflicts in South Korea are concentrated in western municipalities; development-related conflicts are concentrated in the southern region of Jeju Island; and intensive safety-related conflicts occur in metropolitan areas, particularly Ulsan. Thus, the type of conflict is determined by the local environment, in accordance with the definition of environmental conflict, and the distribution is determined by the location of the stakeholder population. This study reveals the issues and locations related to local environmental conflict that require further attention, and proposes more wide-ranging methods for managing the links between conflicts by mapping environmental conflicts on a large scale rather than on an individual basis.

Environmental pollution causes severe damage to local communities, which is perceived differently by different victims, that is, the damage is discriminatory. However, previous studies have not focused on this aspect. Here, we explored the perceptions of different victims of the Hebei Spirit oil spill incident of Korea. Additionally, we explored the importance of considering discriminatory aspects of damage when planning recovery governance. The damages from the oil spill were analyzed using a text mining technique for each subject based on factor analyses. Women and residents older than 60 years were interested in the social relations of the village community; residents in their 40s, who were raising children and teenagers, were interested in the economic aspects; boat fishermen, who had discontinued fishing to participate in the pollution response activity in the early stages of the incident, were interested in disaster prevention; and women divers were interested in health issues. Hence, restoring the economy and environment and reversing indirect social damages are essential for recovery from pollution damage. Furthermore, governance for recovery must not exclude specific victims based on the discriminatory aspects of damages. A political process is necessary to secure the validity of governance and alternatives by involving different victim groups.

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Background and objective: Since industrialization, various communities worldwide have had to deal with the negative effects of pollution. Previous studies have investigated how communities affected by pollution can recover. However, few studies have explored the ways in which recovery takes place over time. This study examined the restoration process of the village of Jangjeom in Iksan, South Korea. The environmental contamination of the air and soil of this area, caused by a fertilizer factory, has been officially recognized. As such, its regional administration is planning its recovery with governmental support.Methods: This study conducted a content analysis of the meeting minutes of the government-civilian committee on environmental emergency measures in the village, using time-series text mining. The main phases and problems in the process of environmental pollution recovery were analyzed.Results: The results of the analysis show that, in the early days of this initiative, there were many discussions regarding the physical and environmental aspects of pollution and the legal framework required to investigate the sources of pollution. However, in later meetings, the focus shifted to how pollution affects the residents, covering topics such as residents’ health check-ups and consultations with experts and administrative agencies.Conclusion: This study shows that for the long-term recovery of communities damaged by pollution, a human-centered approach that goes beyond the physical and environmental aspects of recovery is needed.