Ruling and opposition lawmakers who focus on national energy policy called for practical approaches such as expanding incentives at the 2026 Energy Strategy Forum held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday.
They urged an end to ideological confrontation and called for working together to achieve goals in order to develop the power industry and boost the competitiveness of the nation's industries overall.
Kim Ju-young, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker serving as the ruling party's chief secretary of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, said in his remarks, "Until now, as cities formed and industrialization concentrated in urban areas, electricity demand surged disproportionately toward the Seoul metropolitan area."
"However, we currently face the critical challenge of simultaneously achieving three objectives — overcoming the climate and energy crisis, strengthening energy security, and securing industrial competitiveness — so special sacrifices require special rewards," Kim emphasized.
With the government stressing "local production, local consumption" of energy, Kim argued that energy-sector incentives must be significantly expanded to disperse electricity demand currently concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Woo Jae-jun, a People Power Party lawmaker on the Climate and Labor Committee, also stressed the need to pursue practical strategies beyond ideology.
"I think both the ruling and opposition parties largely share the goal of becoming a country that can supply cheap, high-quality electricity to the public — electricity that remains stable even when external variables arise," Woo said.
"Even when we get into specifics, such as further expanding renewable energy above a certain level and sufficiently securing nuclear energy security, I don't think the differences in views are that significant," he added.
"I believe the political sphere has made mistakes in the past by approaching energy issues ideologically," Woo said. "I think deliberating on how to achieve our goals is far more important than ideological concerns."