ABSTRACT
South Korea was the first country to formally adopt a Green New Deal in 2009 in response to the global financial crisis. The content of the plan, which focused overwhelmingly on a project to dam Korea’s four major rivers, was controversial from day one and its impact on “greening” Korea’s economy was minimal. Just over a decade later, a new crisis – the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn – sparked the development of a new Green New Deal, embedded within a broader Korean New Deal. The government was inspired by both the US Green New Deal proposal as well as the European Green Deal, but many have questioned whether it represents a substantial shift in Korean policy. This chapter compares the form and content of Korea’s past and present green new deals. We conclude that the 2020 green new deal is socially and environmentally superior to the 2009 version. It places a greater emphasis on transitioning to renewable energy and allows for greater public involvement in decision-making. Nevertheless, we also highlight that there are some legitimate concerns about the approach taken in the 2020 green new deal, including support for projects with questionable “green” outcomes and a continued focus on green growth as an overriding strategy.
