<Anchor>



Today's (29th) news, let's take a look at the economic story, especially the constantly rising price problem.

During the war in Ukraine, oil and coal prices around the world have soared recently.

As a result, the amount of money spent to make electricity continues to increase, but because the price burden is so high, the government has decided not to raise the electricity rate until June of this year.

However, there is a lot of controversy as it is a burden that all of us will have to bear someday.



First news today, this is reporter Kim Bo-mi.



<Reporter> The



government has effectively frozen the electricity rates to be applied from next month.



KEPCO calculated that as international crude oil and coal prices rose, 33 won per 1kWh had to be raised.



However, in the process of discussion with the Ministry of Industry, the first gateway, it was reduced to 3 won per tenth, and in the final consultation with the Ministry of Finance, it was reduced altogether.



The government said that the decision was made due to the prolonged Corona situation and the high price burden.



It is also estimated that President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's pledge to freeze electricity rates in April had an impact.



However, as announced last year, 6.9 won per 1kWh will be reflected from next month as a contribution for climate and environmental issues.



Based on a four-person household that uses an average of 350 kWh per month, the monthly electricity bill burden is expected to increase by 2,300 won.



The problem is the deficit of KEPCO, a public corporation.



KEPCO has accumulated 145 trillion won in debt so far, and is paying off 5 billion won in interest a day.



With this freeze, if you sell 100 won of electricity, you will lose almost half of it, and it is expected that debt will increase by more than 20 trillion won this year.



[Seung-Hoon Yoo / Professor, Department of Future Energy Convergence, Seoul National University of Science and Technology: Annual sales of KEPCO are about 60 trillion won.

If the deficit is 20 trillion won or 30 trillion won, it means that the company cannot exist in the market.

As a public corporation, KEPCO's debt must eventually be paid by the people...

.]



This is why there is an opinion that the electricity price should be set by an independent committee without political consideration.



(Video coverage: Jeon Gyeong-bae, video editing: Lee Seung-yeol)