Kim Sang-jo: "The Representative Project of the Korean New Deal is the 'Green Smart School'"

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sunhee] Kim Sangjo, Chief of Policy at the Blue House, stated on the 16th, "If I were to mention one representative project that expresses the spirit of the Korean New Deal, I would like to talk about the 'Green Smart School'."

On the same day, Kim held an interview with tbs Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun News Factory' in the morning and responded this way when asked about the core projects of the Korean New Deal.

The Green Smart School project involves installing energy-saving facilities and creating a digital educational environment in elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide. It includes solar power and eco-friendly insulation installation related to the 'Green New Deal,' as well as classroom Wi-Fi installation and distribution of educational tablet PCs related to the 'Digital New Deal.' The government plans to invest a total of 5.3 trillion won (1.1 trillion won in national funds) by 2022 and create 42,000 related jobs.

Kim explained, "There are 5,700 old school buildings over 40 years old in our country, and more than 2,800 buildings over 45 years old. At the current renovation pace, it would take about 20 years, but we want to shorten that to 5 years." He added, "The education office budget alone is insufficient, so the national treasury will support 30%. We aim to attract private capital with abundant liquidity to digitalize and greenify the classrooms where children study."

Kim further elaborated, "The goal is to build school buildings that either fully meet their own energy needs or install fine dust reduction devices so that children can study comfortably while aiming for a low-carbon economy. The Green Smart School project encapsulates the direction our society should move toward."