More cars stay on the road longer in Korea

The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KFMA) said that among the 16.59 million cars registered nationwide, about 4.9 million are models made before 1998. The association said the percentage of old cars had risen by more than 10% over the past three years, which can be partially attributed to the slow economy and the auto industry boom in the mid-1990s. Thrifty living isn’t a problem, but pollution can be, experts say, particularly in Seoul, where 85% of air pollution reportedly comes from auto emissions. According to Canada’s environment department, a single older car emits more harmful emissions than 35 new 2008 models. (June 1, 2008)