The Green Growth Policy of the Lee Myung-bak Government: Policy Integration Perspectives for System Transition

S&T policy has been traditionally regarded as a sector policy; however, it is now evolving into an infrastructure innovation policy that forms the foundation of diverse types of policies. Simultaneously, environmental and energy policies formerly considered as sector policies are now being expanded and integrated into a higher level policy for sustainable development. With these changes underway, the importance of policy integration has increased. Efforts are being made to minimize contradictions between environmental, social, and innovation policies that emphasize proactive linkage among policies or place the highest priority on environmental policy following the theory of Environmental Policy Integration (EPI). Confronted with these policy changes, the Lee Myung-bak government announced "Low-Carbon Green Growth" in 2008 as national agenda for development that focus attention on environmental and energy issues. Economic policy and environmental policy have been traditionally seen in a conflicting relationship with different paths of policy development. However, the administration of President Lee is now emphasizing the synergy effects between the environment and economic growth with the concept of green growth. The green growth policy of the Korean government has great significance as it has built a momentum for incorporating social goals such as environmental values or sustainable development into economic growth-oriented policies; however, there remain many challenges due to the legacy of the development period that has dominated Korean society. The Korean government says it reflects "EPI" or "environmentalism" in policy goals; however, in reality it prioritizes development over the environment.