MOTIE Minister Joo Hyung-hwan, KEPCO President Cho Hwan-eik, KPX Chairman Yoo Sang-hee, and other power company CEOs pose for a group photo while the minister made an inspection to KEPCO and Korea Power Exchange in Naju on Jan. 9.

MOTIE Minister Joo Hyung-hwan made an inspection tour to KEPCO and Korea Power Exchange in Naju on Jan. 9 to get briefings on their business plans for this year. He also toured KEPCO’s cooperative companies in the new energy industries. 

On top of KEPCO and KPX, KEPCO KDN, KEPCO KPS and other utilities including Incell, Alps Korea, Green Information System, Nuri Telecom, and Posung Power Tec, all tenant companies in the Naju Industrial Complex, participated in the briefing session. 

Minister Joo said despite external and internal business difficulties and rapid changes in the energy business, KEPCO, one of the nation’s biggest public entities, will have to push ahead with massive investments and brace for the future. 

KEPCO said the corporation plans to front-load investments in the construction of power plants, maintenance/repair, power transmission, transformation and distribution sectors, which have far-reaching impact on regional economies as soon as possible. 

KEPCO plans to provide support to its cooperative companies to help the national economy turn around and implement future investment plans in earnest. KEPCO plans to invest a combined 15 trillion won for the recovery of the national economy. 

Specifically, the corporation plans to pour 9 trillion won into the power plant construction, maintenance and repair sectors, 3.1 trillion won in projects to improve energy efficiency, 1.7 trillion won in new energy industries, and 800 billion won in the new and renewable energy sectors.

Minister Joo looks at major facilities of KEPCO headquarters in Naju, Jeollanam-do. (Photos: MOTIE)