Ministry of Industry Attends ASEAN+3 and EAS Energy Ministers' Meetings

Expansion of Renewable Energy Cooperation with ASEAN Countries Linked to Carbon Neutrality and Green New Deal

Joo Young-jun, Director General of Energy Resources, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 20th that Ju Young-jun, Director General of the Energy Resources Office, attended the 17th ASEAN+3 and the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) Energy Ministers' Meeting via video conference and exchanged opinions with member countries on a "sustainable regional energy future."

ASEAN+3 refers to the 10 ASEAN countries including Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand, along with Korea, China, and Japan. The East Asia Summit includes ASEAN+3 plus New Zealand, the United States, Russia, India, and Australia.

At the ASEAN+3 Energy Ministers' Meeting, Director Ju stated, "Last month, Korea declared its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in order to fulfill its role as a responsible member of the international community."

He added, "To this end, we plan to actively promote the reduction of fossil fuel-based power generation, commercialization of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), expansion of the roles of new and renewable energy sources and hydrogen, and improvement of energy efficiency."

He further mentioned, "We hope to share the various policy formulation and implementation experiences accumulated through Korea's carbon neutrality efforts with ASEAN+3 member countries in the future."

Director Ju recalled, "The greenhouse gas reduction projects and energy safety management projects that Korea and ASEAN have jointly pursued have contributed to the transition to a low-carbon economy and the enhancement of energy security within the ASEAN region."

He then proposed, "Let us continue mutual cooperation next year through various programs such as policy consulting, workshops, and capacity-building training."

At the subsequent EAS Energy Ministers' Meeting, Director Ju introduced, "Korea is promoting the Green New Deal as a sustainable national development strategy in the post-COVID-19 era."

He said, "Since the new and renewable energy, hydrogen, and energy efficiency sectors, which are being intensively discussed at the EAS level, align with the core areas of Korea's Green New Deal policy, let us expand cooperation focusing on these sectors."

Additionally, Director Ju mentioned that since 2018, Korea has served as a co-chair country of the Renewable and Alternative Energy Power Generation Subgroup (RAPG) together with Brunei, striving to spread renewable energy within the region.

He stated, "Going forward, the Korean government plans to actively identify and continuously support areas where EAS member countries seek cooperation with Korea, such as energy demand management, smart grid construction, and development of renewable energy-energy storage system (ESS) linkage models."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.