Prime Minister Han Sung-sook said today (the 15th), "It is no exaggeration to say that the key to the success of mega-projects for South Korea's grand leap forward depends on the timely supply of electricity and the early establishment of power grids."

Prime Minister Han made the remarks during her opening opening statement at a Cabinet meeting held at the Government Complex Seoul this morning.

She continued, "In particular, the active cooperation of local residents is paramount for power grids," adding, "While firmly maintaining the principle of expanding power grids, the government is devising various measures to minimize the burden on residents and provide practical benefits."

During the Cabinet meeting, measures to enhance public acceptance of power grid construction were discussed.

The government plans to minimize the number of new transmission towers by integrating existing and new lines onto a single tower.

Through this, the government expects to reduce the number of transmission towers from the originally planned 4,700 or so down to 2,500, a reduction of about 40 percent.

In addition, underground cabling will be expanded in densely populated areas, and compensation and support for regions along the transmission routes will also be increased.

Prime Minister Han also emphasized, "Acute respiratory infectious diseases, including influenza, are showing an earlier increase than in previous years," adding, "Preemptive response is most important in managing infectious diseases."

She then requested, "I ask the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to secure sufficient vaccines and flexibly review vaccination schedules considering supply and demand conditions," and urged, "In particular, please take measures to ensure that high-risk groups, such as infants and toddlers, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases who have weak immunity, receive timely vaccinations and medical care."

With Chuseok approaching and price pressures growing due to the Middle East conflict, Prime Minister Han emphasized, "I ask relevant ministries, such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, to thoroughly inform the public about government measures and closely monitor field conditions to ensure that seasonal goods are supplied on time and that there are no unfair practices such as price-labeling violations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)