The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, which oversees climate and energy functions, will launch with a two-vice-minister system. The first vice minister will be in charge of environmental policy, and the second vice minister will be in charge of energy policy.
On the 30th, the Ministry of Environment said that, through approval at a Cabinet meeting that day, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment—integrating the overarching climate policy function and the energy function, a key implementation tool for carbon neutrality—will launch on Oct. 1.
The new ministry will be organized into two vice ministers, four bureaus, four offices, 14 divisions, and 63 sections. It is structured so that climate, energy, and environmental policies—such as greenhouse gas reduction, expansion of renewable energy, improvement of environmental quality, and response to climate disasters—can be organically linked.
Under the first vice minister will be the Office of Planning and Coordination, the Water Management Policy Office, the Nature Conservation Bureau, the Air Environment Bureau, the Resource Circulation Bureau, and the Environmental Health Bureau. Through this, it plans to ensure the seamless implementation of key environmental policies included in the new government's national agenda—such as restoration of river naturalness and ecosystems, reduction of fine dust, establishment of a circular economy, and chemical safety—and to expand environmental services that the public can tangibly feel. ▲
Under the second vice minister, it will establish the Climate and Energy Policy Office and the Energy Transition Policy Office to maximize a synergistic effect through the convergence of climate and energy policies. It will also accelerate implementation of a dramatic expansion of renewable energy for the energy transition, the construction of an energy expressway, and the fostering of carbon-neutral industries.
Minister Kim Sung-hwan of the Ministry of Environment said, "The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, as the ministry leading the green great transition in the face of the climate crisis that threatens human survival, will play a pivotal role in Korea's rise as a leading nation of a decarbonized green civilization," adding, "To guarantee public safety and basic environmental rights, we will also do our utmost to provide high-quality environmental services that meet the public's expectations."