S Korea’s new leader must keep word on switch to electric cars

Yoon Suk-yeol needs to act now to boost supply of such vehicles and help his country realise its economic and climate goals

Few expected South Korea’s new president, who was inaugurated on Tuesday, to be a strong advocate for climate action. Yoon Suk-yeol is known for his hawkish foreign policy stance and conservative views on social issues.

Yet, buried within Yoon’s campaign promises is a commitment that would set Korea’s vehicle industry apart as one of the most progressive in Asia. In his election pledge book, Yoon committed to ban the new registration of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.

A ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles would have major benefits for Korea’s economy, vehicle industry and climate diplomacy.

If he keeps his word, Yoon’s pledge would bring Korea’s fossil-fuel vehicle phase-out timeline in line with International Energy Agency (IEA) recommendations and position the country as a leading force in the decarbonisation of road transport in Asia.

The IEA cautions that, to achieve global net-zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century, more than 60 per cent of cars sold worldwide by 2030 must be electric vehicles. Also, no new combustion engine passenger cars can be sold from 2035.

A recent study by Cambridge Econometrics and Greenpeace East Asia found that a ban on the sale of new combustion engine vehicles would reduce Korea’s emissions between 2020 and 2050 by an average of 26 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

A ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles is necessary to mitigate climate change and ensure the competitiveness of Korea’s vehicle industry.

In recent years, the European Union and the United States have both taken strong steps towards a transition to electric vehicles. Therefore, Korea’s leading position as an electric-car manufacturer and battery exporter could be under threat.

In the US, President Joe Biden has promised US$174 billion in government spending to promote the domestic electric-car market. His plan is intended to bolster domestic electricvehicle supply chains, retool factories to compete globally and create incentives to buy Americanmade models. The EU’s 2035 ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles likewise forces European carmakers to expand their electricvehicle production capacity.

Technological advances in Korea’s car and battery industries are also critical to its allies’ transition to carbon neutrality, as well as for the country to realise its own 2050 net-zero commitment.

Yoon will have plenty of opportunities to flex his diplomatic muscles in his first two months in office, and climate change is sure to be a key issue for discussion. Biden is expected to visit Korea later this month to discuss chips, electric vehicles and batteries. In June, Yoon is likely to attend the G7 summit in Germany, where climate change is expected to loom large on the agenda.

The transition to zero-emission vehicles is also critical domestically and would have a positive impact on job creation. The Cambridge Econometrics/Greenpeace study projected a net increase of 59,000 jobs in Korea if new combustion engine car sales were banned by 2035.

Furthermore, the 2035 combustion engine vehicle phase-out target has received widespread support from car union members in Korea. Of a sample of more than 1,000 workers at Hyundai Motors, Kia and GM Korea, four out of five said they supported a ban on the sale of these vehicles by 2035. Nearly two-thirds said they believed the ban should be implemented by 2030.

It appears at least a faction of Yoon’s team has caught onto the benefits of a swift transition to electric cars. On May 3, the presidential transition committee announced its 110 key policy tasks for Yoon’s upcoming term, which included increasing supplies of electric cars and the creation of a zero-emission vehicle target by 2035.

However, it remains to be seen whether Yoon will enact a full ban on the sale of combustion engine vehicles from 2035.

As he looks to secure his agenda and build global influence, the 2035 ban would be a boon for Korea’s economy, diplomacy and the car industry, as well as urgently needed relief for the climate. However, it must be swiftly put into action.

The 2035 ban would be a boon for Korea’s economy, diplomacy and the car industry