Kim Sung-jin, the newly appointed chairman of the Korea Power Exchange (KPX), pledged to establish a stable power supply system as his top priority amid the energy transition, saying he will "build a diverse power market where flexibility resources are properly rewarded."
Kim made the remarks Monday at his inauguration ceremony held at the main auditorium of KPX headquarters in Naju, stating, "Energy is national security and the foundation of the economy and industry." He emphasized, "We are now facing a period of massive transition in which energy, industry, and the nation's future are being reshaped simultaneously," adding that "the role of the Korea Power Exchange is becoming more important than ever."
Kim identified stable power supply as the most important task, even as the share of renewable energy increases rapidly. "The sun and wind are resources we cannot control," he said. "We will build a stable power supply system in which renewable energy and existing power sources are harmonized across all time zones." He added that the exchange would establish a precise demand-supply forecasting system and strengthen real-time grid operation capabilities.
Kim also said he would push for innovation and diversification of the power trading market. "The power market no longer operates in the old way," he said. "What matters is not how much you produce, but how flexibly you respond." He pledged, "To build a power market where flexibility resources are properly rewarded, we will expand the ancillary services market so that various resources such as energy storage systems (ESS), demand management, and electric vehicles can participate."
Kim also presented as major tasks the establishment of a locally produced, locally consumed distributed power system through microgrid-based regional power operation models and integrated operation of distributed resources via virtual power plants (VPPs), along with regional tariffs and expanded human capital investment. "We will strengthen our role in connecting the power market with industrial policy," Kim said. "We will lay the foundation to shift industrial flows so that power-intensive industries such as data centers, hydrogen, and batteries are located in renewable energy production regions, including the southwest coast."
Kim officially began his duties on Thursday. Born in 1963 in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, he graduated from Gwangju Daedong High School and the Department of Economics at Konkuk University. He entered public service through the 33rd administrative examination and served as director of the energy resources policy division at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, head of the Jeonnam Regional Postal Service, regional economic policy officer at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), and MOTIE spokesperson. After retirement, he served as the eighth president of Gwangju Technopark and as standing vice chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association.
