The Democratic Party summons Im Hyuk-baek again... Will Lee Jae-myung support the 'Energy Expressway'?

25 National Assembly Members Launch 'Good Policy Forum'
Jeon Hyun-hee: "A Think Tank to Address Local Extinction"
Lim Hyuk-baek: "Will Strive for Success of 22nd National Assembly"

The Democratic Party of Korea has partnered with the nonprofit organization 'Joeun Jeongchaek Forum,' chaired by Professor Emeritus Im Hyuk-baek of Korea University, to establish a research group of the same name in the National Assembly. Professor Im previously served as the chair of the nomination management committee that selected Democratic Party candidates for the April 10 general election. Although he emphasized that the nominations were made according to the system at the time, he was not free from controversies such as 'closed-door nominations' and 'nameless deaths.' He has now returned to the Democratic Party as the head of this 'policy think tank.'

The National Assembly's 'Joeun Jeongchaek Forum' held its inauguration ceremony on the afternoon of the 8th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Representative Jeon Hyun-hee, who serves as the forum's leader, explained, "South Korea is in a crisis situation, and this forum was created as a kind of 'think tank' where experts from various fields come together to overcome this crisis." She added, "The most important topic the forum addresses is local autonomy and decentralization aimed at preventing local extinction and promoting balanced development." The forum includes 24 Democratic Party lawmakers and Hwang Un-ha of the Innovation Party as members.

Professor Im Hyuk-baek, chairman of the nonprofit organization 'Good Policy Forum.' / Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Representative Jeon said, "Professor Im has already been preparing and researching many policies for South Korea from outside the political sphere, and now, as a National Assembly research group, we are newly launching this forum together with lawmakers. The National Assembly plays a supporting role, but the professors are the main actors." In response, Professor Im stated, "I will devote all my efforts to the success of the 22nd National Assembly to repay the support given to me by the public during the election period."

The inauguration ceremony also served as the launch event for the 'RE100 National University Professors Association.' 'RE100' stands for '100% Renewable Energy,' reflecting the commitment to replace most of the electricity produced with renewable energy. Acting Representative and Floor Leader Park Chan-dae said in his congratulatory speech, "A revolutionary expansion of renewable energy is indispensable not only for the environment but also for the survival and development of our economy," adding, "Global companies such as Apple and Google are competing to declare 'RE100' in line with the global push for carbon neutrality and the transition to the Green New Deal."

Park Chan-dae, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (fifth from the left in the back row), is taking a commemorative photo with attending lawmakers and professors at the launch ceremony of the National Assembly Good Policy Forum and RE100 University Professors' Council held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 8th. To the left of Floor Leader Park is Lawmaker Jeon Hyun-hee, and to the right is Professor Im Hyuk-baek.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Floor Leader Park criticized, "However, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is going against the global trend," noting, "Since the administration's inception, it has only emphasized nuclear power and did not increase the share of renewable energy in the 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand." He continued, "The administration's mindset seems stuck 100 years ago," and expressed hope that the newly launched Joeun Jeongchaek Forum and RE100 National University Professors Association would seek wise solutions.

Analysts suggest that the Democratic Party's emphasis on renewable energy aligns with the vision of Lee Jae-myung, a candidate running for party leader. During the party election, Lee repeatedly mentioned the 'energy highway.' He pledged to develop renewable energy production facilities and energy transmission technologies to enable 'sunlight pensions' and 'wind pensions.' Representative Jeon said on the day, "Candidate Lee has been continuously advocating for RE100 while traveling across the country," adding, "Building an energy highway that establishes factories in regions and attracts people to local areas is a task for the Democratic Party."