The South Korea government has revealed that new emission standards for automobiles will apply to vehicles manufactured after January 2006.

It means that South Korea's regulations will be brought into line with California's Ultra Low Emission Vehicle parameters for gasoline-fuelled cars.

In relation to diesel-powered vehicles, the new South Korean regulations will be on a par with Euro IV emission standards.

A spokesman for the environment ministry explained the new air quality control regime would dramatically cut tailpipe pollutant emissions.

Allied with clean fuel technology, it is hoped that air quality standards will be improved by over 50 per cent within 10 years.

Tougher rules will also be implemented to reduce the sulphur content of gasoline and diesel.

Meanwhile, a scheme in Tokyo forcing diesel-powered trucks and buses to install particulate filters, which started in October, has generated an immediate 30 per cent year-on-year drop in particulate matter (PM) emissions.

While the city's air quality maintenance division stressed the data gathered so far is too limited to reveal long-term trends, figures for November also show much lower PM emissions than a year earlier.