Im Sang-jun, Deputy Minister of Environment, "We must not be trapped in the outdated dichotomy of development versus conservation"

Im Sang-jun, Vice Minister of Environment (Seoul=Yonhap News)

Im Sang-jun, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Environment, said on the 5th, "Being trapped in the outdated dichotomy of development versus conservation will only lead to repeated conflicts and confrontations without making any progress."

In his inaugural address to the Ministry of Environment staff on the 5th, Vice Minister Im stated, "If we fail to maintain a focus through scientific and objective environmental policies, the value of the environment will be exploited as a tool and means for other purposes."

He added, "Environmental policy must be resolved solely from the perspective of the people. Issues that affect the nation's future and the livelihood of the people must not be influenced by any political considerations or ideological standards."

Vice Minister Im emphasized, "The only criterion for our policy decisions is the nation and its people," and added, "We must constantly ask ourselves and deliberate on which choices will enhance South Korea's competitiveness and provide the people with a better environment and higher quality of life." This is based on the belief that if the government and public officials make easy and convenient decisions without thorough consideration, the people will have to walk a path that is several times more difficult and arduous.

To this end, he mentioned the need to boldly break away from existing practices and regulatory frameworks and to renew ways of working and thinking. Vice Minister Im stressed, "There is nothing easy among the tasks ahead of us: transforming environmental regulations scientifically and rationally, revitalizing the environmental market and creating an industrial ecosystem, nurturing low-carbon and green new industries as future growth engines, and redesigning a century-long plan for water management based on science and practicality."

He concluded by saying, "We must clearly understand where the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s environmental policy is headed, where it stands after one year, and where it will go from here."

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