Korea finalizes goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 53-61% from 2018 level by 2035

President Lee Jae Myung, left, bangs the gavel to open a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The government on Tuesday approved a goal to reduce South Korea's greenhouse gas emissions by 53-61 percent from 2018 levels by 2035, with President Lee Jae Myung stressing the transition to a carbon-neutral society is an "inevitable path" for sustainable growth.

The decision was made during a Cabinet meeting presided over by Lee, endorsing the nationally determined contribution (NDC) target for 2035, which is slightly higher than the government's initial proposal to cut emissions by either 50-60 percent or 53-60 percent.

"There is controversy these days regarding the NDC, but the transition to a carbon-neutral society is an inevitable path that we must take for sustainable growth and a leap forward as a global economic power even if it that entails some pain," Lee said during the meeting.

The finalized NDC will be officially announced at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, which began this day and runs through Nov. 21.

Under the Paris Agreement, each country is required to submit and update its NDC every five years, outlining efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

South Korea previously submitted its 2030 NDC in 2021, pledging to cut emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels.