Korea plans to send into orbit a satellite that would monitor environmental changes to help predict possible natural disasters.

The government announced the plan at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo on Friday.

The Ministry of Environment and 12 other government agencies will join hand to launch a satellite around 2016 to strengthen the country's capabilities to monitor climate changes.

Nine government agencies also plan to upgrade Korea's technologies for boosting energy efficiency to the levels of advanced nations by 2030.