By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye said Thursday that regulations preventing private participation in markets should be revised to nurture new businesses in the energy industry.
Park attended a discussion hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and said that individual participation should be guaranteed in the markets of power and energy.
The discussion was aimed at gaining momentum in making investment in the new fields of electric cars, new renewable energy and electric power storage systems.
She also stressed that the government should take pre-emptive actions to grow the industry by building up more infrastructure.
"The government needs to consider opening some sectors to civilians," she said.
She cited electric cars as an example, saying that the number of such vehicles is little more than 3,000 primarily because of a lack of charging stations here.
The president's remarks are an extension of her drive for regulatory reform that could boost the economy and create jobs.
She held a second roundtable discussion with ministers, business representatives and ordinary citizens on Wednesday and called for speedy deregulation.