Ajou Economy held the “2026 Ajou Economy Energy Forum” at the Press Center on the 29th and hosted a panel discussion on “Energy Mix Strategy for South Korea in the Era of Energy Security.”
The session was moderated by Kim Hyeong-jun, a professor at KAIST’s Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy. Panelists were Andre, a senior official in the Climate and Energy Policy Division at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment; Lee Tae-ui, head of the Energy Security Policy Research Office at the Korea Energy Economics Institute; Yang Seung-tae, head of the Fuel Department at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power; and Choi Deok-hwan, head of external cooperation at the Korea Wind Industry Association.
Yang said nuclear power does not conflict with renewable energy, describing it as baseload generation that supports the national grid as renewables expand. He also said nuclear power’s cost advantages should be reflected in energy-mix policy.
“Nuclear power produced about 31% to 32% of the nation’s electricity with an investment of 1.2 trillion won last year, and it is economical and highly resilient even if uranium prices rise,” Yang said. “We should make good use of nuclear power’s strengths to address issues such as renewables and transmission networks and move forward.”
Andre pointed to expanding global supply-chain risks and urged policies that incorporate on-the-ground input to strengthen energy security.
“After announcing the 2040 NDC last November, the recent Middle East war has brought a new perspective and many concerns about energy security,” he said. “To change the existing energy system, we need to consider not only production, consumption and distribution, but also the market tariff structure.” He added that the forum’s detailed discussions underscored the need for complex, multi-track solutions.
Lee said countries must move quickly, warning that greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere will linger for centuries even if emissions are reduced.
“The greenhouse gases on Earth have been here since 100 years ago,” Lee said. “Even if we cut emissions starting now, it could take hundreds of years for the greenhouse gases themselves to decline.” He added that cutting carbon emissions is difficult and requires major effort and time, and said countries should work aggressively to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions.
Choi said economic hurdles must be overcome to maximize renewable energy use, warning that when regulatory deposits shrink, discussion of practical issues such as emissions permits and carbon reductions can fade.
“When economic problems arise, the reality is that tools to respond to climate change, such as carbon reduction, are weakened,” Choi said. “Scope 3 greenhouse gases are not even being tracked in the current situation.”
Choi also called for incentives for companies investing in renewables. “Right now, only state-run power generation companies are investing in renewables to score well in management evaluations,” he said. “We need to think about how to manage and revitalize this. Strengthening tax credits for companies that purchase renewable energy could also be an alternative.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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