Anchor: Climate change is among the hot topics that candidates will have to address next week at a presidential debate organized by the National Elections Broadcasting Commission. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party has pledged to phase out coal-fired thermal power plants by 2040, while the People Power Party’s Kim Moon-soo wants to revamp the environment ministry and step up nuclear power plant technology. 
In the fourth and final installment of this KBS analysis of candidates’ campaign pledges, our Bae Joo-yon delves into their climate policies.

Report: Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung has vowed to shut down all of the nation’s coal-fired thermal power plants by 2040 as part of efforts to tackle climate change for the sake of future generations.

That target is regarded as a step up from the current government’s stated aim to close 28 of the nation’s 59 coal-fired thermal power plants by 2036 and build more liquified natural gas plants. 

Pledging to accelerate the energy transition to focus on renewable energy, Lee said he will expand systems in which solar and wind power companies share profits with local residents. 

Regarding the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, which has taken a 180 with every change of administration, Lee proposed rewilding, which refers to a large-scale conservation effort centered on increasing biodiversity and restoring natural processes. 

Kim, for his part, pledged to preemptively respond to climate change by revamping the environment ministry and entrusting it with the authority to comprehensively coordinate climate change policies with related ministries. 

He promised to strengthen policies on climate change-adaptive infrastructure and urban planning, while upgrading forecasting and early warning systems for climate change. 

Kim also vowed to make South Korea an energy powerhouse with the world’s most advanced nuclear power plant technology. 

To this end, he said he will ensure that existing plans to build six large nuclear power plants and commercialize domestically developed small modular reactors proceed without a hitch.

Another presidential candidate, Kwon Young-gook of the Democratic Labor Party, proposed more ambitious targets. 

He promised to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2035, ensure that renewable energy sources account for 60 percent of all power generated in South Korea, and suspend new sales of internal combustion engine vehicles.
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.