The government has been emphasizing a renewable energy-centered "great energy transition" day after day, spurred by the war between the United States and Israel against Iran. President Lee Jae-myung recently declared that "the great transition to renewable energy is a national and generational task that cannot be delayed." On the 6th, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment reported its "Great Energy Transition Implementation Plan" at a Cabinet meeting. The plan calls for accelerating the target of 100 GW in renewable energy installed capacity by 2030 and enabling 10 million citizens to earn income from solar and wind power. While there is no major change from the "2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)" established last year, the plan reflects the government's urgency as the vulnerability of an energy system dependent on Middle Eastern crude oil has been laid bare, making energy self-sufficiency a pressing concern. The government's proposed "war supplementary budget" includes 524.5 billion won in funding for the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment focused on the renewable energy transition.
Transforming the nation's fossil fuel-centered energy structure — entirely dependent on imported oil and gas — into a self-sufficient supply system is a task directly tied to national security. It is commendable that the government is now accelerating the energy transition, prompted by risks stemming from the Middle East conflict, not only to overcome the immediate crisis but also for the sake of future national competitiveness. However, it is concerning that the government's energy transition vision is skewed toward renewables. In South Korea, where conditions for solar and wind installations are unfavorable, activating nuclear power — a stable, low-carbon electricity source — is essential to meet the explosive power demand from future industries such as artificial intelligence (AI). Yet nuclear power promotion is not even mentioned in the new energy strategies recently emphasized by President Lee and the government.
To be sure, the government does not appear to be following the denuclearization policy of the Moon Jae-in administration. Kori Unit 2, which had been shut down three years ago, recently resumed operations. Site selection procedures are also under way for two new large-scale reactors and one small modular reactor (SMR). But that is not enough. To build an energy self-sufficiency foundation resilient to external variables such as geopolitical and weather conditions and to establish energy security, the government must demonstrate a proactive commitment to nuclear power development, including additional reactor construction. The government should formulate a rational energy mix strategy in which renewables and nuclear power work in harmony, so that its energy policy becomes the cornerstone of a "hundred-year national plan."