Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of SK Group, has put forward a plan for Korea and Japan to jointly purchase and stockpile energy, and in the long term, connect power grids and gas pipelines. He also presented implementation plans for a Korea-Japan economic community, including creating an artificial intelligence (AI) and youth joint fund and insurance products guaranteed in both countries. He also urged Korea's participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
In an interview with the Asahi Shimbun released on the 8th, Chairman Choi said, "Korea and Japan must jointly design everything from energy purchasing to stockpiling to use," and "even if we reduce costs by just 3-5%, the effect will be very significant." He added, "In the long term, we must connect power grids so we can exchange electricity with each other and also connect gas pipelines."
Chairman Choi cited the cost burden resulting from low birth rates and aging populations as a reason why an economic community is necessary. He argued that if both countries jointly utilize infrastructure and services, they can lower basic costs while fostering new industries.
As a private cooperation method, he proposed forming a joint fund where Korea-Japan financial companies invest in AI and youth, and developing insurance products that provide coverage to people traveling between the two countries regardless of which country they are in. He also revealed that SK is discussing AI and semiconductor cooperation with Japanese companies including NTT and Tokyo Electron.
He proposed expanding people-to-people exchange to the level of the European Union (EU)'s Schengen Agreement. Chairman Choi said, "We can gradually expand the scope of cooperation while building trust and accumulating success cases that both countries' citizens can feel."
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Uncle, do you perhaps have another house in Japan as well? (?)
▶ Original source: https://news.nate.com/view/20260908n10065
