South Chungcheong Province and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions agreed to work together to attract the integrated headquarters of power generation public enterprises.
The province said on the 9th that it held a signing ceremony for a business agreement to attract the integrated headquarters of power generation public enterprises to South Chungcheong in the situation room at the provincial government office.
About 10 people attended the ceremony, including Park Soo-hyun, governor of South Chungcheong, and Ko Seok-hee, head of the South Chungcheong-Sejong regional headquarters of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.
The agreement was pursued to attract the integrated headquarters of power generation public enterprises to South Chungcheong to achieve an energy transition in the region and contribute to balanced national growth.
Earlier, on the 4th, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment held a meeting on a plan to integrate power generation public enterprises and officially announced a plan to merge the five power generation companies—Korea South-East Power, Korea Midland Power, Korea Western Power, Korea Southern Power, and Korea East-West Power—into one company and establish "Korea Power Generation" (tentative name).
The province and the headquarters argue that South Chungcheong, where the demand for transition among workers in the power generation field is the largest in the country, is the optimal location for the integrated headquarters. The main grounds are: ▲ optimal place to carry out the role ▲ optimal place for energy supply ▲ the center of power generation ▲ compensation for affected areas.
First, it said the region urgently needs a just transition following the closure of thermal power plants and is the optimal place for a state-led grand shift to renewable energy using the West Coast power generation base.
South Chungcheong has the most, 28, of the 52 coal-fired power plants managed by the five power generation companies. However, the government plans to shut down a total of 36 units by 2038, including 21 in South Chungcheong, 10 in South Gyeongsang, 3 in Incheon, and 2 in Gangwon. As a result, the region is suffering serious economic damage, including population decline and an increase in small business closures and suspensions.
In addition, the energy supply sector has the strength to minimize the expense of responding to power demand for high-tech industries—such as the three major megaprojects in the capital area and the Chungcheong area—and overhauling the grid.
South Chungcheong is also the No. 1 region nationwide in installed power generation capacity, home to the headquarters of Korea Midland Power (KOMIPO) and Korea Western Power (KOWEPO), and the main branch of Korea East-West Power (EWP).
In particular, the province argues that consideration is needed for affected areas, given that for the past 40 years it has endured environmental damage for national power production.
Park Soo-hyun, governor of South Chungcheong, said, "The integrated headquarters will be a solid foundation to keep the functions and jobs that would leave due to plant closures in South Chungcheong and to create new energy industries and jobs," adding, "Since the business agreement signed today is also a promise to protect workers' jobs and the region, we will make sure to attract the integrated headquarters so that workers do not have to leave their familiar workplaces and homes."