Prime minister says S. Korea has started national energy transition project, at WCE in Busan

It's the Energy Super Week down in Busan city.

International energy events are taking place to explore ways to make the world greener.

Our Kim Do-yeon tells us more.

The World Climate Industry Expo, a key 2025 Energy Super Week event, kicked off on Wednesday, drawing together global leaders and top companies to tackle the world's pressing climate challenges.

In his opening address, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced South Korea's ambition to lead the global green transition by developing infrastructure like "energy highways."

"The new South Korean government has launched a national energy transition project. We are leading the way by building 'energy highways,' expanding our power grid, and shifting our focus to renewables. Through these efforts, we will achieve carbon neutrality, strengthen our energy security, and drive economic growth all at the same time."

The opening ceremony saw government representatives from 32 countries, as well as top executives from tech and energy giants like Google, Microsoft, Siemens, and Hyundai Motor.

And in front of the crowd, the prime minister also highlighted the expo's central theme: the critical link between the energy sector and artificial intelligence.

"This expo's theme is 'AI for Energy, and Energy for AI.' Developing artificial intelligence requires a stable energy supply, and in turn, AI technology is essential for energy innovation. This fusion of energy and AI will be the breakthrough we need to overcome the climate and energy crisis."

But the expo is just one part of the Super Week in Busan.

Happening in parallel is the 15th APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting, where top energy officials from the 21 member economies are gathered.

For the next two days, they will be tackling critical issues like strengthening energy security, modernizing power grids, and finding stable energy solutions to power the world's growing demand from data centers.

Officials say these ministerial talks are a crucial stepping stone, with South Korea's energy minister calling them a "strong bridge" that will help set the agenda for the main APEC Leaders' Summit this October.

Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.