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FROM:
koreajoongangdaily
[koreajoongangdaily - January 31, 2021]
Daesung chair addresses the hoopla and presents vision
Younghoon David Kim, Daesung Group chairman and honorary chairman
of World Energy Council at his office in central Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]
This year, the world seems to be slowly recovering from the unprecedented global pandemic. At the same time, the global energy industry landscape is shifting quickly, with countries phasing out fossil fuels, affecting every industry.
Younghoon David Kim, Daesung Group chairman, said we are currently in a major energy transition, where the next-generation industrial revolution is in progress.
Chairman Kim is a major figure in the global energy industry as not only the World Energy Council honorary chairman but also a member of the President’s National Council on Climate Change and Air Quality headed by former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
“Decarbonization, decentralization and digitalization is currently in progress,” Kim said. “Because [energy] innovation is happening at a rapid pace, the next industrial revolution will be much more dramatic than the first two.”
In December 2020 Kim became the recipient of the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit — the highest accolade given by the government to a Korean energy company.
Not only was his contribution in raising Korea’s reputation in the international community acknowledged but his work in pioneering renewable energy was also noted.
Kim began his involvement with the World Energy Council (WEC) when he became WEC’s regional vice chair for Asia Pacific and South Asia in 2005 and subsequently served as the organization’s chair between 2016 and 2019. The World Energy Council is the world’s largest non-governmental energy organization.
Daesung Group was founded by Kim’s father, Kim Soo-keon, and started off manufacturing briquettes. The company later expanded its businesses to include coal mining, LPG, petroleum, natural gas and renewable energy.
Kim is the third son of the founder and now runs Daesung Holdings, Daesung Energy, Daesung Eco-Energy and Daesung Private Equity. Daesung also is the sole operator of Skype in Korea.
Kim earned a law degree from Seoul National University, a master's in comparative law and business administration from the University of Michigan as well as a master's in theology from Harvard Divinity School.
Since 2004, he has been attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland every year meeting with global leaders and scholars.
He said the World Economic Forum’s theme this year is “The Great Reset.”
(Omissions)
BY PARK HYE-MIN, LEE HO-JEONG
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