Lee chairs national briefing on Korea's green transition strategy

Chey Tae-won says carbon neutrality should be 'opportunity for growth'

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a national briefing on the Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) strategy held at a conference venue in Seoul on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a national briefing on the Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) strategy held at a conference venue in Seoul on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that South Korea must break from its habit of following others and become an architect and pioneer of the global green market.

Speaking at a national briefing on the Korean Green Transformation (K-GX) strategy that afternoon, Lee said the climate crisis "is no longer a distant future concern but an immediate reality threatening the survival of humanity right before our eyes."

The event was organized to give concrete shape to the three-pillar K-Initiative vision Lee had presented at the UN General Assembly high-level segment last month.

Lee opened by citing the recent glacier disaster in Nepal, saying extreme weather "is threatening our daily lives" and that the climate crisis has become an urgent, present-day threat to human survival rather than a distant problem.

He said addressing the climate crisis does not require choosing between the environment and economic growth, and called for a sweeping transformation that serves as "a practical solution that builds industrial and national competitiveness together."

Lee added that proactively pursuing the green transition is "a sure future strategy for securing international competitiveness while at the same time protecting the lives and livelihoods of our people from the climate crisis."

He also said the green transformation is "an essential prerequisite for maintaining a decisive edge in our advanced industries and for making the three mega-projects a success."

Lee said South Korea must secure core green technologies ahead of others by drawing on its world-class research and development capabilities in order to claim an early lead in future green markets. He expressed hope that the country would explore ways to make the green transformation a new engine of regional growth by actively leveraging local industrial complexes and renewable energy.

President Lee Jae Myung listens to remarks by Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the national briefing on the Korean Green Transformation strategy held at a conference venue in Seoul on Wednesday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung listens to remarks by Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the national briefing on the Korean Green Transformation strategy held at a conference venue in Seoul on Wednesday. [Yonhap]

"If it cannot be avoided, let us embrace it," Lee said, adding that he believes South Korea's "innovation DNA will again show its strength" through the green transformation process.

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also spoke at the event in his capacity as head of the private-sector consultative body of the public-private K-GX task force. He said businesses would take the lead in ensuring that carbon neutrality becomes "not a burden but an opportunity for new growth."

Chey said companies must now respond to government support by executing 220 trillion won ($164 billion) in investment — including signature projects — without delay and delivering results on the ground.


sang@heraldcorp.com