Korean leader touts green diplomacy

President Lee opens Global Green Growth Institute in Copenhagen


COPENHAGEN ― Korea’s ambitious Global Green Growth Institute opened its first overseas office here Wednesday in a show of strengthened ties with Denmark.

Denmark has vowed to contribute $5 million annually for three years to the international organization launched by the Lee Myung-bak administration last June.

President Lee attended Wednesday’s opening ceremony of the GGGI’s Copenhagen office within the Technical University of Denmark campus.

“The establishment of the Copenhagen office in DTU, the heart of northern Europe’s green technologies, is expected to broaden the horizons of green growth in advanced countries and help the GGGI back green growth in developing nations,” Lee said at the opening in DTU.

The GGGI signed a memorandum of understanding with the Danish government on cooperation for support for green growth and another MOU with Danfoss, the European country’s eco-friendly heating and air-conditioning company.

In addition to Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Germany and Australia have pledged to contribute to the GGGI.

“By establishing close ties with Denmark, the world’s leading producer of wind power, Korea aims to tap into the global green growth market,” Lee’s secretary for green growth Kim Sang-hyup told reporters.

Denmark has vowed to become fossil fuel-free by 2050.

Lee arrived in Copenhagen Wednesday morning after wrapping up his three-day visit to Germany.

After a photo session at Fredensborg Palace, Lee met with Danish businessmen over lunch, offered flowers for the graves of Korean War veterans at the Jutlandia Monument and visited “8 Tallet,” an eco-friendly housing development near Copenhagen.

Lee then attended a state dinner hosted by Danish Queen Margrethe II at Fredensborg Palace.

On Tuesday in Frankfurt, Lee championed the need for strategic collaboration between Korea and Germany in industries for future growth.

“Low-carbon, green growth isn’t a matter of choice. All industries must seek to cut down on carbon emissions,” Lee told a group of German CEOs.

On Thursday, Lee is scheduled to attend the launch of a Korea-Denmark Green Growth Alliance, a forum on green growth, hold talks and a joint press conference with the Danish prime minister.

Nine more MOUs were to be inked Thursday ― between Seoul’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Copenhagen’s Ministry of Climate and Energy on ties for renewable energy and smart grids, between KAIST and the DTU on green technologies, between the city of Copenhagen and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group on hydrogen-fueled cars, between SK and Topseo Fuel Cell on fuel cells, and between Korea Energy Management Corporation and the Danish Energy Agency.

Lee is slated to depart for Paris Thursday evening after meetings with chairmen of Denmark’s container ship operator AP MolLer and research and development firm SolVay.

By Kim So-hyun, Korea Herald correspondent
(sophie@heraldcorp.com)