Seoul unveils vision for green growth hub

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, July 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Monday unveiled a multi-billion-dollar
plan to transform itself into one of the world's seven strongest nations in terms
of green growth by 2020 and to create nearly 2 million green jobs over the next
five years.
The five-year plan comes under a state-led drive to build the country into what
the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae is calling an international hub of green
growth.
"Based on our past development experience that made possible the country's
intensive development, but with more detailed action plans than the economic
development plans of the past, the five-year green development plan provides
concrete ways to achieve our goals," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.
The plan was approved at a meeting of the presidential committee on green growth,
attended by President Lee Myung-bak.
"This (five-year-plan) also means the national drive for green growth will
continue regardless of what kind of government assumes power in the future," said
Kwon Tae-shin, a minister from the prime minister's office in charge of policy
coordination.
Under the plan, the government will spend 107 trillion won (US$84.5 billion) on
green growth by 2013. The amount will be equivalent to spending 2 percent of
total gross domestic product every year, according to Kwon.
This will help create 1.5 million to 1.8 million jobs during the five-year
period, generating up to 206 trillion won in economic output, he said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)