Korea Will Introduce Daylight Saving Time Soon

President Lee Myung-bak, second from right, talks with members of the Presidential Committee on Green Growth, before presiding over the first meeting of the committee at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Lee and panel members held in their hand mug cups representing “green growth.” / Yonhap

By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

The government will form a task force to introduce daylight saving time (DST) as early as possible to save energy and improve the quality of life, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

It is also considering creating a fund to attract investment from the private sector in the development of energy-saving technologies under the ``Green New Deal'' project aimed at nurturing relative industries into a new economic growth engine.

These measures were discussed at the first meeting of the Presidential Committee on Green Growth, presided over by President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae. The 47-member council of economic ministers and experts from the private sector, which opened Monday, will play a leading role in forming the government's green growth policies.

``South Korea has become one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of efforts to develop green technologies and fight climate change,'' President Lee said. ``I'm confident that green technologies will not only help us overcome the ongoing economic crisis, but enhance the country's long-term growth potential.''

As part of plans to promote green industries, the government will soon introduce DST, which has been adopted by 27 of the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Only South Korea, Japan and Iceland have yet to put DST in motion.

The measure is expected to draw a fierce backlash from unions, which have argued employers might abuse it to force employees to work longer. Union activists claim that it is still premature to launch DST because South Koreans work the longest hours in the world even though the country enforces a 40-hour workweek.

Cheong Wa Dae said the government will submit a bill on green growth this month. It will also create a bureau at each municipal government to coordinate policies with the central government and implement them.

Last month, the administration announced a 50-trillion-won program dubbed the ``Green New Deal'' to create over 900,000 jobs. The plan includes a multi-trillion-won project to clean and refurbish the country's four major rivers.

Under the plan, Korea will spend over 1.2 trillion won ($852 million) over the next 10 years to build a nationwide network of bicycle paths along four major rivers. The government plans to host an international bicycle race, ``Tour de Korea,'' when the project is complete in 2012.

It will also initiate other green projects entailing increasing the use of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, and replacing all incandescent light bulbs at public facilities with more energy-efficient LED bulbs by 2012.

``The country will boost its energy independence and green technology levels to those of the world's top 10 advanced nations by 2030 to help establish a Green Korea image,'' Cheong Wa Dae said.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr

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