President Lee Chairs Third Chief Secretary and Aide Meeting
"RE100 Industrial Complexes to Have Zero Regulations in Principle"
President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the 3rd Chief Secretary and Aide Meeting held on the 10th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On July 10, President Lee Jae Myung instructed the government to devise measures to significantly reduce electricity rates for RE100 industrial complexes. He emphasized that surplus eco-friendly energy generated in the southwestern region should be used first by nearby industrial complexes, and that policies should be designed to ease the electricity cost burden on businesses. President Lee also called for the enactment of a special law for RE100 industrial complexes and ordered bold improvements in regulations, education, and residential conditions.
Kim Yongbeom, Director of the Presidential Policy Office, stated at a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, "At the Chief Secretary and Aide Meeting chaired by the President this afternoon, we reported on the RE100 industrial complex promotion plan." This was the first time Director Kim personally briefed the media on policy matters. He stressed, "The promotion plan for RE100 industrial complexes is the top policy priority," and added, "I chose this as the topic of my first briefing because this initiative aligns with the President's core national philosophy of energy transition and balanced regional development."
The RE100 industrial complex refers to a campaign in which companies meet 100% of their electricity needs with eco-friendly renewable energy sources. Currently, the southwestern region of Korea has abundant potential for renewable energy such as solar power, but due to a lack of transmission lines to other areas, much of the electricity produced is wasted. Building new transmission lines would require significant time and cost. The core of the plan is to establish industrial complexes in regions rich in renewable energy so that eco-friendly electricity can be used locally first.
Kim Yongbeom, Director of the Policy Office, is briefing on the RE100 industrial complex at the Yongsan Presidential Office press conference room on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News
According to Director Kim, President Lee, after receiving the report, stated, "Since electricity is used directly where it is produced, there is a cost reduction effect in transmission and distribution network construction," and emphasized, "Please come up with even more aggressive electricity discount measures for tenant companies than initially planned." Electricity generated from renewable energy is inevitably more expensive than that produced from coal or nuclear power, so the President indicated that the state should drastically lower electricity rates for RE100 industrial complexes to prevent additional burdens on companies.
President Lee also instructed, "In principle, consider zero regulations," and "If a special law for RE100 industrial complexes is enacted, make even bolder improvements to education and residential conditions," according to Director Kim.
Director Kim further explained, "Through RE100 industrial complexes, we are redesigning the energy supply structure and the Korean energy map," and added, "From the perspective of balanced regional development, industrial restructuring utilizing renewable energy is not about redistribution, but rather about creating real growth engines that generate jobs and livelihoods in local communities." He also noted, "Ultimately, we expect that RE100 industrial complexes will expand into energy new towns, serving as a cornerstone for revitalizing regional economies."
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