Creative-Destruction in Korea’s Smart and Strong Grid Strategy

Abstract In this chapter we examine Korea’s efforts to build a national smart grid industry in the context of the state’s emerging developmental-environmental orientation, and relatedly its evolving ‘creative’ and ‘destructive’ ambitions and capabilities. We ask: What has motivated the Korean state to become involved in smart grid industry creation initiatives? How have Korean policymakers pursued their creative ambitions? Why has the government appeared more ambitious and active in smart grid industry creation than in getting fossil fuels out of the energy system? To what extent is this ‘creative-destructive’ misalignment now resolving? What factors are driving attempts at realignment, and what obstacles to a fully green shift remain? To address these questions, we divide this chapter into three parts, structured temporally. This allows us to explore the varying degrees of alignment between the state’s ‘creative’ and ‘destructive’ ambitions and capabilities from 2000 to 2021, and to anticipate the most likely future trajectory.