Impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol threatens South Korea’s nuclear energy policy momentum

Impeachment turmoil may disrupt the trajectory of Korea’s nuclear sector

Chosun Biz, 4th April 2025, By Jin Sang-hoon

The Constitutional Court has cited the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, making it likely that the energy policy centered on nuclear power promoted by the former president will lose momentum.

The Yoon Suk-yeol government, established in May 2022, has abandoned the nuclear phase-out policy pursued during the previous Moon Jae-in administration and has been implementing an energy policy centered around nuclear power again. In July 2022, the decision was made to resume the construction of the Shin Hanul Units 3 and 4 nuclear power plants, which began construction in September last year, and the procedure for the continued operation of 10 nuclear plants, including the Hanul Units 1 and 2, which will reach their designed lifespan by 2030, has also begun.

In early 2018, the proportion of nuclear power in total electricity generation was 23.4%, but under the Yoon Suk-yeol government, it rose to 29.6% in 2022. There was also an ambitious push to win overseas nuclear power contracts, resulting in securing two nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic worth 24 trillion won. In the case of the Czech Dukovany nuclear power project, the detailed coordination between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Czech authorities has been completed, leaving only the final contract.

However, the decision to impeach the former president has made it uncertain whether the nuclear-centered energy policy will continue. Since intergovernmental nuclear contracts are made at the government level, it is crucial to see how determined the government is in pushing forward.

With the early presidential election following the impeachment of the former president, if the Democratic Party comes to power, the nuclear power policy may be reversed again. The government has established the 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, which includes forecasts for electricity demand and supply plans up to 2038, believing that three large new nuclear power plants are necessary. However, as the Democratic Party demands a reduction in new nuclear power plants and an expansion of the share of renewable energy, the plan for large new nuclear plant construction has been reduced to two.

An anonymous energy industry official noted, “During the Moon Jae-in administration, a large budget was invested in renewable energy, leading to the emergence of many solar-related businesses and stakeholders in local areas,” adding, “If the Democratic Party comes to power and they demand support again, the budget for nuclear power could be reduced.”…………………… https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-policy/2025/04/04/3U66VMSXWZDU5CHQUD5PS75NHY/