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Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, greets citizens during a campaign rally held at Wangsimni Station Plaza in Seongdong District, Seoul, on May 28. / Photo by Lee Byung-hwa

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung reiterated his pledge on May 29 to establish a new Ministry of Climate and Energy, aiming to lead South Korea’s response to the climate crisis with a comprehensive and integrated approach.

Posting on Facebook, Lee wrote, “I will create a sustainable Republic of Korea by establishing the Climate and Energy Ministry and strengthening the 2050 Carbon Neutral and Green Growth Commission under the president’s office.”

He emphasized that the climate crisis is not just about global temperatures rising. “It is a threat to human survival, as well as an economic, employment, and human rights crisis,” Lee said. “Korea’s delayed transition to renewable energy is weakening industrial competitiveness, and the damage from floods, droughts, and wildfires disproportionately affects the vulnerable and marginalized regions.”

Lee argued that a complex crisis like this requires integrated policies and leadership. “We need a unified control tower that can address climate change while simultaneously tackling socio-economic issues,” he said, vowing to lay the foundation for carbon neutrality by launching the new ministry.

He also pledged to make the 2050 Carbon Neutral and Green Growth Commission a meaningful civic engagement platform, saying it would evolve into a functional body enabling a “just transition.”

“Many politicians have promised a climate-focused control tower, but they treated the climate crisis as merely an environmental issue, leaving human rights and social justice out of the conversation,” Lee stated. “We can no longer delay. Both current and future generations must make bold decisions together.”