President Lee “We must break away from the practice of being a follower and become a designer and leader of the green transition.”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hyeong-seop and Hwang Yoon-ki = President Lee Jae-myung said on the 7th, "The great green transition is a clear future strategy that will secure international competitiveness and at the same time protect the lives and homes of the people from the climate crisis."

President Lee emphasized this at the 'K-GX Signature Project' briefing session, which is a Korean-style green transition (K-GX) strategy and private investment plan, presided over on this day.

The green transition refers to a national transition strategy that fundamentally changes the entire energy, industry, economy, and social structure to an eco-friendly and decarbonized structure in order to respond to the climate crisis and achieve carbon neutrality.

President Lee said, "The climate crisis is not something of the distant future, but has become a reality that threatens the survival of humanity. This year, more than 35,000 additional deaths occurred in Europe due to heat waves compared to the average year, and in Nepal, there was a disaster when a glacier collapsed."

He went on to explain, “We are no longer in a situation where we are giving up on either the environment or growth. Carbon trade barriers, including Europe’s carbon border tax, are increasing day by day, and foreign companies are also strongly demanding carbon reduction.”

President Lee added, “It is essential to dominate the green market in order to maintain the super gap in our country’s high-tech industry and achieve success in the three major mega projects.”

At the same time, he said, "There is a saying that if you can't avoid it, enjoy it. We must break away from the practice of following others and now become designers and leaders of the green market, setting our own pace." He also emphasized, "Korea's innovative DNA will exert its power even in the process of the great green transition."

As a specific plan, President Lee suggested, "I hope we can jointly explore ways to make the green transition a new regional growth engine by actively utilizing local industrial complexes and renewable energy."

At the same time, he urged, “We must pay special attention to ensure that vulnerable groups such as old industrial complexes, vulnerable industries, and low-income groups are not left out in the green transition process.”