'Electricity Made from Renewable Energy' Direct Transactions Open from October

Introduction of Direct Power Purchase Agreement System... Buying and Selling Electricity Without KEPCO Mediation

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] From October, electricity users such as companies will be able to purchase electricity produced solely from renewable energy sources like solar power directly from producers.

According to the "Changes Starting from the Second Half of 2021" published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance on the 28th, electricity users will be able to select and buy electricity generated from renewable energy without going through the electricity market by introducing the direct Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) system. Through this, they can participate in the "RE100" campaign, which certifies the use of renewable energy electricity. Until now, power generators and electricity retailers were, in principle, only allowed to trade through the electricity market, and it was not possible to purchase only renewable energy electricity separately.

The legal foundation to address low birth rates and aging in provincial cities will also be strengthened. As the designation criteria and support details for population decline areas are specified, the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will designate population decline areas considering population decline rates among metropolitan cities, special self-governing cities, and city/county/districts. Financial and administrative support areas such as social overhead capital (SOC), education, culture, and housing construction for the designated areas have also been specified.

In the patent field, the method of calculating damages will be changed so that in cases of infringement of all intellectual property rights including trademarks, designs, unfair competition acts, and trade secrets, damages will be compensated even for sales volumes exceeding the production capacity of the intellectual property rights holder.

In the broadcasting and telecommunications sector, from July, differential regulations between terrestrial and paid broadcasting will be eliminated, allowing mid-roll advertisements regardless of the broadcasting medium.

Additionally, residents will be able to obtain new resident registration cards anywhere nationwide. Until now, to receive a resident registration card, one had to visit the eup/myeon/dong office under the jurisdiction of their place of residence. Going forward, photos for resident registration card issuance can be pre-registered at the electronic civil service window, and the eup/myeon/dong community service center to visit can be designated, allowing issuance at the designated community service center.

Furthermore, from July, the domestic stay period for foreigners will be granted only within the validity period of their passports. In cases of intentional non-payment of child support debts, a public disclosure list will be introduced, and departure bans can be requested.

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