Liberal Democratic Party of Korea former chair, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who leads the field of presidential hopefuls, on Tuesday announced he would create a road map to phase out plastics to tackle pollution and make South Korea more sustainable.

"We will turn South Korea into the leader in the plastic-free movement," Lee wrote on his Facebook page Tuesday, adding that he would work to establish necessary infrastructure for a circular economy and introduce the consumer "right to repair" movement to reduce plastic waste.

Lee also pledged to nurture the bioplastic industry, shut down all coal-fired power plants by 2040 -- unlike the current blueprint to close 40 out of 58 by 2038 -- to reduce microfine dust pollution and restore biodiversity.