The history of the Ministry of Environment, the environmental authority of the Republic of Korea, stems from Pollution Section of the Ministry of Health and Society established in 1967, which was expanded to Pollution Division, in charge of environmental administration, in 1973. After several reform and expansion of environmental authority, Environment Administration was launched as a subsidiary of the Ministry of Health and Society in 1980. In January. 1990, Environment Administration was promoted to the Ministry of Environment under the Office of Prime Minister, in order to efficiently integrate and coordinate environmental issues. In December, 1994, the Ministry of Environment was given greater authority to establish and implement its own policies.

The vision of the Ministry of Environment is to “Build a Sustainable Future with the People”. It is a slogan that shows the will of the ministry to become a key agent in pursuing the coexistence of the present and future generations based on the free participation and communication of the people, and to ensure an excellent quality of life for the people by protecting environmental rights, the fundamental and constitutional rights of everyone. 

The mission of the Ministry of Environment is to protect the national territory from threats of environmental pollution and improve the quality of life for the public so that the people can enjoy ambient natural environment, clean water and clear skies. Furthermore, they aim to contribute to the global efforts to protect the one and only Earth. In February, 2008, Korea Meteorological Administration became a subsidiary of the Ministry to facilitate countermeasures against climate change.

The tasks of the Ministry of Environment include enactment and amendment of environmental laws and regulations; introduction of environmental institutions; building up framework structure for environmental administration; drafting and implementation of mid-long term comprehensive measures for environmental conservation; setting up standards for regulations; providing administrative and financial support for environmental management to local governments; inter-Korean environmental cooperation; and environmental cooperation with other countries.