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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a senior secretaries' meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on July 31. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung on Thursday emphasized the need to overhaul South Korea’s power grid infrastructure to accommodate the growing use of renewable energy and advanced AI technology.

At a senior secretaries' meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Lee said, "We must fundamentally redesign our power grid infrastructure around renewable energy, which will inevitably increase in the future. Relevant ministries should explore ways to build a Korean-style next-generation grid that reduces inefficiencies in long-distance transmission and actively leverages advanced AI technology."

Lee stressed the urgency of this transition: "Energy transformation has become a necessity. In the era of the AI revolution, improving our grid to ensure renewable energy supply is now a pressing task." He also instructed officials to create opportunities for local residents to participate in renewable energy projects.

He further urged swift progress on the so-called "energy highway," clarifying misconceptions about the project: "This isn’t a one-way road to Seoul but a nationwide network connecting the entire country with an advanced power grid." Lee addressed concerns that it reinforced "capital-centric growth," saying, "Modern highways don’t all lead to Seoul anymore. I hope this misunderstanding is resolved."

Presidential policy chief Kim Yong-bum added in a briefing, "We aim to transition toward decentralized micro-grids that generate and consume energy locally, minimizing transmission and improving efficiency. We plan to develop the Jeolla region, which has abundant renewable energy potential but lacks sufficient grid infrastructure, into a hub for next-generation grid innovation."