By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak pledged Monday to turn Gangwon Province into a Mecca of green growth, saying it can become an example of eco-friendly development for emerging countries around the world.

"Korea's vision for green growth has been at the center of global attention as countries are seeking to adapt themselves to the economic paradigm shift," Lee said during a visit to the Office of Gangwon Province in Chuncheon.

"Gangwon, which is famous for natural beauty and superb tourism infrastructure, is the best place to turn the vision into a reality. I have high expectations on its push for green growth."

Lee received a briefing from Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-sun on his plans to attract firms specialized in developing clean energy sources, presidential spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye said.

Lee noted that an increasing number of conglomerates are trying to explore the market to develop new sources of earnings in line with the changing global trend, which is a boon for the province.

The President also reaffirmed his pledge to set up the so-called Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in Seoul by the end of June to help the world share experiences and crucial policies on creating a greener future.

"We are gathering scholars, scientists and civil society leaders from around the world to come up with workable solutions to climate change," Lee said.

PyeongChang's Bid for Winter Olympics

Regarding the province's move to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, Lee said the government fully supports the bid.

He said Korea's strong performance in the past Olympics will help strengthen its global reputation as an Asian sports powerhouse, as well as raise international support for PyeongChang's Olympics bid.

The government will strongly consider Gangwon's plan to build a double-track subway between Wonju and Gangneung to promote the regional industry, something it has been pushing for for 15 years, Lee said.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr