The head of the ruling Democratic Party(DP) has proposed developing small modular reactors(SMR) as part of South Korea's carbon neutrality campaign, which he says can also help provide energy to North Korea.

In his first parliamentary address as DP leader on Wednesday, Song Young-gil said SMRs can be an effective energy source for countries with geological restrictions such as the North, which has vast mountainous regions and a lack of power transmission and distribution networks.

Song said he had called for strategic nuclear energy cooperation with the U.S. when he met with President Moon Jae-in, which led to the leaders of the two countries recently agreeing on joint initiatives in the overseas nuclear plant market.

On issues concerning the country's young people, Song suggested designating a minister specifically tasked with solving them, including drawing up a comprehensive long-term plan that addresses housing, jobs and education.

As for the year's second extra budget to finance a new round of COVID-19 relief programs, the DP chief pledged to prioritize assisting small business owners, universal relief payments and money back for credit card users.