The 2050 Low-carbon Society Vision Forum has unveiled and proposed its draft version of the 2050 Long-term low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) to the Korean government on Feb. 5. 

A broad, cross-cutting social discussion will take place on this draft strategy, which will then be ed by the government as the final LEDS by the end of this year. 

The followings are clarifications to the news articles published on Feb. 6, by Hankyoreh(English Edition), "South Korea has effectively abandoned a carbon neutrality declaration" and the Kyunghyang Shinmun, "Carbon neutrality vision proposed, but lacks details."

1. News articles

Hankyoreh published that the draft LEDS proposed by the Vision Forum does not include carbon neutrality as one of its options, therefore, Korea has in effect abandoned a goal of carbon neutrality. The Kyunghyang Shinmun published that carbon neutrality has been presented as a national vision in the draft strategy, but the vision has limitations as it lacks specific plans. 

2. Clarifications by the Ministry of Environment

The draft strategy contains recommendations made by the Vision Forum, mainly comprised of professionals from various fields, which indicates that it is a not a finalized version of LEDS by the government, but a first draft prepared by the private sector. 

The Vision Forum is currently being participated by 69 private sector experts in 7 subcommittees. 

The draft strategy will be the basis of a comprehensive social dialogue, which will take the form of public opinion poll, stakeholder debate, policy proposal sessions participated by the public, etc. A government-wide consultative body will be set up soon to determine the procedures and methods of how the social dialogue could take place. Such opinions from the public will be incorporated into the draft strategy, which is to be finalized by the government as the final LEDS by the end of this year. 

Given that the long-term strategy should take a future-oriented and forward-looking approach, the government will consider a whole range of creative and drastic options to inspire innovations at all levels while working on its final LEDS. The government will continuously strive to ensure that Korea's low-carbon transition creates new opportunities and possibilities. 

The social dialogue to the final LEDS will address a carbon neutrality target as well as 5 options proposed by the Vision Forum, in accordance with the goal set in the Paris Agreement, which is to hold global average temperature rise well below 2℃ and aim to limit it to 1.5℃.