Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Yoon pledges support for climate change action, clean energy transition
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the third session on sustainable development and energy transition during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
S. Korea to expand 'green' ODA to countries vulnerable to global warming
President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to bolster support for addressing the climate crisis and transitioning to clean energy during the G20 Summit held in Brazil on Tuesday (local time), the presidential office said Wednesday.
The South Korean president also emphasized the nation's commitment to bolstering support for countries vulnerable to the challenges of the climate crisis, as part of broader efforts to tackle the crisis.
During the third G20 session on Tuesday (local time), themed "Sustainable Development and Energy Transition," Yoon outlined South Korea's contributions to resolving the challenges.
"Korea has been implementing an additional $300 million contribution to the Green Climate Fund, as pledged at last year’s G20 Summit in New Delhi," he said.
Yoon stressed that achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 requires a global transition to clean energy, but pointed out that the burden of this shift is disproportionately heavy for emerging economies and developing countries.
"At last year’s UN General Assembly, I proposed the Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Initiative, and in October this year, the South Korean government, together with partner nations, launched the CFE Global Working Group during the Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting," Yoon said, vowing to continue to develop a carbon-free energy certification system.
South Korea also announced plans to contribute $7 million to a fund aimed at supporting countries impacted by climate change at the Korea-Africa Summit in June this year.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and leaders of G20 member countries take a commemorative photo during the G20 summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap
Additionally, the South Korean president highlighted Seoul's leadership in mobilizing private sector resources and expertise to advance sustainable development.
"South Korea will work to reduce risks associated with renewable energy investments to encourage private green investments. Furthermore, we aim to accelerate the development of clean energy by introducing market mechanisms such as competitive bidding for clean hydrogen power generation," Yoon said.
The president also underscored South Korea's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality in the digital sector by improving the efficiency of the digital industry and reducing the energy consumption of digital infrastructure. He emphasized the crucial role of innovative technologies in minimizing carbon footprints while fostering sustainable digital transformation.
President Yoon Suk Yeol listens to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during their summit on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of the presidential office
On the sidelines of the G20 sessions, Yoon held a bilateral summit with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Tuesday (local time), agreeing to unite in their response to North Korea-Russia military cooperation.
During the summit, Yoon and Starmer shared the view that the security of Northeast Asia and Europe is more interconnected than ever, while pledging to strengthen international solidarity for peace and reconstruction in Ukraine.
In particular, the two countries agreed to accelerate progress in the areas of the foreign and defense 2+2 meetings, defense industry cooperation, and ongoing negotiations to enhance the South Korea-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). They also committed to closer communication to deepen cooperation in the field of carbon-free energy (CFE).
That day, Yoon also held a summit with President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, agreeing to collaborate in the critical minerals sector to address global supply chain instability. The South Korean president also sought South Africa's support, announcing that Seoul would launch a Korea-Africa critical minerals dialogue during the upcoming "Mining Indaba" — Africa’s largest annual mining forum, which will be held in South Africa in February next year.
After completing his multilateral diplomatic schedule at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and G20 summits, Yoon boarded Air Force One in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday (local time) to return to South Korea.