What did Lee Jae Myung and Fatih Birol discuss at Cheong Wa Dae?

They discussed responses to the global energy crisis and Korea’s transition to renewable energy. Lee said the Middle East conflict had created challenges for that transition and asked Birol for his views on how the crisis may develop.

Why did President Lee raise energy supply chain cooperation with the IEA chief?

The presidential office said the meeting was arranged as a follow-up to Lee’s proposal during the Group of Seven summit in June. He had suggested cooperation to strengthen the resilience of Asia-Pacific nations’ energy supply chain.

What did Fatih Birol say about electrification in energy security?

Birol said electrification, meaning the switch from fossil fuels to electric power, is a key policy implication for energy security. He praised the Korean government’s move toward electrification, saying it would support Korea’s sovereignty and economy and help its response to climate change.

President Lee, IEA chief discuss response to energy crisis

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung met International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday to discuss responses to the global energy crisis. Lee said Korea has faced setbacks in its renewable energy transition because of the Middle East conflict and asked Birol for his views on the crisis. Birol said electrification is a key energy-security policy implication and praised Korea’s move toward it. The meeting followed Lee’s G7 proposal to cooperate on strengthening Asia-Pacific energy supply chains.

Key Facts

The meeting was held at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday.
Lee asked Birol how to respond to the energy crisis and how he expects the situation to develop.
The presidential office said the meeting followed Lee’s proposal at the Group of Seven summit in June to cooperate on strengthening Asia-Pacific energy supply chain resilience.
Birol said the IEA had been at the forefront of efforts to overcome the global energy crisis, including a 400 million barrel emergency oil release by member countries in March.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 17, 2026 10:16 am KST
Updated Sep 17, 2026 6:24 pm KST

Fatih Birol, center, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), arrives for his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during his visit to Tokyo, Japan, Monday. EPA-Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung met with International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Fatih Birol on Thursday and discussed their responses to the global energy crisis.

During the meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said Korea has faced challenges in its transition to renewable energy sources due to the energy crisis sparked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

He asked Birol to share his views on how to respond to the crisis and how he expects the situation to develop, saying Korea will spare no effort to cooperate with the IEA's strategic plans.

The IEA chief noted the emergence of electrification, or the switch from fossil fuels to electric power, as a key policy implication for energy security.

He praised the Korean government for moving toward electrification, saying the initiative will not only support the country's sovereignty and economy but also contribute to the response to climate change.

The meeting was arranged as a follow-up to Lee's proposal during the Group of Seven summit in June to discuss ways to cooperate to strengthen the resilience of Asia-Pacific nations' energy supply chain, according to the presidential office.

Birol has been at the forefront of efforts to overcome the global energy crisis, such as by getting IEA member countries to release 400 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves in response to the Middle East conflict in March, it said.

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