S.Korea to invest $2 bln in carbon capture to 2019

SEOUL, July 12 (Reuters) - The South Korean government said in a statement on Monday that the country's total public and private investment in carbon capture and sequestration would reach an estimated 2.3 trillion won ($1.92 billion) to 2019.

Of the total, public sector investment would account for 1.2 trillion won, it said in a statement.

A government official said Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) (015760.KS: Quote) was currently leading local investment. The state-run utility said last September it would spend 2.8 trillion won to develop environment-friendly technology including carbon capture and storage by 2020. [ID:nSEO155116]

South Korea, the OECD's fastest-growing carbon polluter and the world's No.5 oil importer, a year ago vowed to invest 107 trillion won, or 2 percent of its annual GDP, in environment-related industries over five years staring from 2009. [ID:nSEO61955] ($1=1197.5 Won)

(Reporting by Cho Mee-young; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)