Co-authored by Yoo Yeonbaek, Ryu Geunsik, Joo Jaein, and Song Minho
Proposing Strategies for Securing Sustainability Beyond Survival
"We Must Consider Our Choices in the Upcoming Era of Transition"
A book examining survival strategies for the petroleum industry amid the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and the climate crisis was published this month.
Publisher MAM Press announced that the book "Asking the Future of K Oil," which looks at the past, present, and future of the petroleum industry, was published on the 8th. Photo shows the book cover image.
Publisher MAM Press announced on September 24 that the book "Asking the Future of K Oil," which explores the past, present, and future of the petroleum industry, was published on the 8th. This book retraces how Korea, once a country poor in natural resources, grew into a petroleum powerhouse with the world’s fifth-largest refining capacity, and introduces various cases illustrating how oil has transformed human civilization. It also presents six future scenarios outlining the choices and strategies needed for the petroleum industry as it faces the era of energy transition and the digital revolution.
The authors include Yoo Yeonbaek, Executive Vice President of the Korea Petroleum Association; Ryu Geunsik, Policy Advisor to the National Assembly; and Joo Jaein, Expert Member of the Korea Petroleum Association-three experts who have observed Korea’s energy policy and industry for over 30 years-as well as Song Minho, Director of the AI Media Content Center at Seoul National University, who contributed a humanities-based perspective. They do not simply define oil as "an obsolete energy of the past." Instead, they emphasize that oil should be reexamined as a key material that will be integrated with carbon capture, hydrogen energy, and AI-driven digital innovation during the energy transition.
The book covers: ▲ the 70-year history of Korea’s petroleum industry as a non-oil-producing country, ▲ eight petroleum revolutions that changed civilization, ▲ six future scenarios in the era of the climate crisis and energy transition, and ▲ roadmaps of Korean refining and petrochemical companies. The authors address the energy "trilemma" of security, economic feasibility, and the environment, and propose strategies for the petroleum industry to move beyond survival and secure sustainability.
MAM Press stated, "This is not an industrial report, but a future strategy book that can be read by everyone from policymakers to the general public," adding, "It will serve as an opportunity to move beyond biases surrounding the petroleum industry and seek a path toward sustainable transition."
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