President Moon Immersed in Hydrogen Economy... 34 Questions and Comments in One Meeting

Park Suhyun, Blue House Chief of Public Communication, Shares Behind-the-Scenes on Facebook... "Need to Alleviate Vague Anxiety About Hydrogen Economy"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "Isn't it a problem if a company's production capacity is sufficient but the country fails to adequately support infrastructure like charging stations and subsidy budgets, thereby restricting production?"

On the 11th, Park Soo-hyun, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, shared on his Facebook the question about the hydrogen economy posed by President Moon Jae-in. This question arose during a Blue House senior secretaries' meeting discussion on January 14, 2019.

Park explained, "In the discussion, the president's not-so-short remarks appeared as many as 34 times. The president's questions and discussions are surprisingly professional and well-informed about the current situation, and there were several instances where the responsible aides were at a loss to respond."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The hydrogen economy is one of the key national agenda items that the Moon Jae-in administration has shown interest in. In particular, President Moon recently delivered consecutive messages about the hydrogen economy, expressing his special attention. Park said, "President Moon believes that one of the essential things to revitalize the hydrogen economy is to dispel vague anxieties about hydrogen."

On the 6th, during a Blue House aides meeting, President Moon pointed out, "What is hindering the activation of our country's hydrogen economy is vague anxiety. Among OECD countries, 21 operate hydrogen charging stations, but our country alone cannot perform self-charging."

President Moon said, "It is not because our technology is lacking but because of anxiety, and because of that, we cannot move forward briskly. Hydrogen is an energy source with a lower accident rate than LPG or petroleum, but this perception has not spread well among the public," and urged, "Comprehensive promotion that hydrogen is a safe energy is necessary."

Park said, "Our country has achieved the world’s triple crown for two consecutive years in the supply of hydrogen vehicles, hydrogen charging stations, and fuel cells, and is also the first in the world to implement the Hydrogen Act. We plan to invest more than 43 trillion won by 2030. As the president’s will and hope, I wish that our country’s hydrogen economy will move 'briskly' forward and stand tall as a leading hydrogen nation in the world."