How President Lee Jae-myung’s Electric Vehicle Policy Aims for 100% Transition by 2026

President Lee Jae-myung said on the 30th, “The world is in turmoil over energy issues. It’s so serious it keeps me up at night. We must transition to renewable energy quickly.”

Lee made the remarks at a town hall meeting at the Halla Convention Center in Jeju.

Lee pointed out that the government aims to convert 100% of rental cars to electric vehicles and said policies like this must be implemented boldly and swiftly. “Isn’t this an emergency? The current pace of the transition is too slow,” he said.

Lee also heard attendees’ opinions on building an undersea tunnel to connect Jeju Island to the mainland.

After asking attendees to raise their hands for or against the proposal, Lee said, “The majority are opposed. Far more people want to stop it. I agree with them.” He added, “Cautiously, I think the island’s identity is what makes Jeju, Jeju.”

On efforts to remove the criminal and civil statutes of limitations for state violence, Lee said, “I’ve almost always attended the Jeju 4·3 commemorations and made this promise each time, but I haven’t yet fulfilled it. I will make that promise a reality in the very near future.”

Discussing Korea’s political culture, Lee said, “Ultimately, politics must be normalized. It’s not appropriate for politicians to treat governing—when they must be directly responsible for people’s lives—as an opportunity to experiment with their personal beliefs and values.”

He added, “Politics should be a competition over who performs best. Normalizing politics means letting voters judge, at their level, who can best do the job.”

Reporter Jeong Jae-ho cjh86@viva100.com