President Lee Jae-myung met with Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, on Sept. 17 and pledged that South Korea "will spare no effort in international cooperation on the IEA's strategic direction."
Meeting Birol at the Blue House, Lee said the agency likely faces mounting challenges as energy crises intensify worldwide. "We too are making sweeping changes to shift our energy system toward renewables, but the energy crisis stemming from the recent Middle East crisis has created major obstacles to that transition," he said.
Lee described the situation as a critical juncture for South Korea. "Concern over energy is likely running high around the world, so I ask for your insights on how to respond and on what lies ahead," he said.
Birol responded that electrification is emerging as a key policy tool for energy security. "We are very encouraged that the Korean government has placed electrification at the center of its policy," he said. Electrification refers to shifting energy consumption away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal toward electric power.
"Achieving this electrification goal will not only benefit Korea's sovereignty and economy but also contribute to tackling the climate crisis," Birol said.
