March 31, 2026
SEOUL – President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for a rapid shift to renewable energy, saying Jeju is best positioned to deliver the fastest real-world results as South Korea faces a worsening energy crunch amid the war in the Middle East.
Lee reiterated his calls while hosting his 12th and final regional town hall on Monday at the Halla Convention Center of Halla University on Jeju Island, the closing event in a flagship series aimed at advancing his vision for balanced national development rooted in region-specific growth.
“The Republic of Korea as a whole must move very quickly toward renewable energy,” Lee said, referring to South Korea by its official name. “Our future will be at serious risk if we continue to rely on fossil fuels.”
South Korea is making all-out efforts to mitigate energy supply disruptions caused by the ongoing Middle East war, including easing seasonal curbs on coal-fired power generation, which are typically imposed from December through March to reduce fine dust pollution.
“The world is in turmoil over the energy crisis. To be honest, the situation is so serious that it has even kept me up at night. The immediate problem is grave enough, but the outlook ahead seems even more unstable — the situation is worse than expected,” Lee said.
“We need to transition to renewable energy, and I believe Jeju is the place where we can deliver tangible results the fastest,” he added, pointing to the island’s strong wind resources.
At the Jeju meeting, Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-whan laid out a blueprint for a carbon-neutral energy transition, positioning the island as a test bed to drive South Korea’s broader shift away from fossil fuels.
Kim underscored that “the transition to carbon-neutral energy has become an even more urgent and critical challenge amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.”
“Europe overcomes current (energy supply) challenges by freely trading electricity across countries, but for us, given various geopolitical constraints, it is not easy to do so,” Kim said. “That is why we must succeed in achieving carbon neutrality on this island-like system, and for that, the success of Jeju is critically important.”
Kim stressed that Jeju should aim to demonstrate 24-hour RE100 or Renewable Electricity 100%, within the Lee administration’s term.
The ministry’s plan centers on sharply expanding renewables, accelerating the shift to electric vehicles, scaling up battery storage, electrifying heating, building a green hydrogen ecosystem and deploying AI-based power management systems.
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young presented tourism development strategies, and Deputy Prime Minister and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon unveiled a blueprint to position Jeju as a global talent hub.
Meanwhile, Lee marked his 300th day in office on Jeju Island, where two defining themes of his presidency converged: his push for balanced regional development and his vow to confront the legacy of state violence.
The Jeju event marked the conclusion of Lee’s nationwide tour, which has taken him to major regions including the metropolitan cities of Gwangju, Daejeon, Busan, Daegu and Ulsan, as well as Gangwon Province, northern Gyeonggi Province, South Chungcheong Province, South Gyeongsang Province, North Jeolla Province and North Chungcheong Province since taking office.
The tour has highlighted a development approach tailored to each region’s strengths and distinctive characteristics. At the core of Lee’s outreach is his balanced growth strategy centered on developing the “Five Mega-Regions and the Three Special Self-Governing Provinces.” Under this framework, Jeju is designated as one of three special self-governing provinces.
Cheong Wa Dae said future town halls will shift from region-based formats to issue-specific discussions.
During the town hall meeting, Lee also reaffirmed his pledge to ensure lasting accountability for state crimes of violence and prevent any recurrence, citing cases such as the Jeju massacre — a 1947-54 state-led suppression of an armed uprising on the island that killed tens of thousands of civilians.
Lee called for abolishing both criminal and civil statutes of limitations for state crimes of violence, arguing that lifetime accountability — including within inherited assets — is essential to uncover the truth, ensure reparations and prevent recurrence.
“Like Nazi war criminals, they will be held accountable to the very end of their lives. We will pursue them relentlessly — track them down, investigate them and ensure they are punished,” Lee said during the town hall meeting. “A sense of fear — fear of history, the people and the state — needs to be instilled in public officials.”
A day earlier, Lee repeatedly stated his determination to completely abolish criminal statutes of limitations and civil prescription periods for crimes of state violence during his visit to the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park ahead of the 78th anniversary of the Jeju April 3 Uprising and his luncheon with bereaved families of the victims.