Rep. Park Hyeong-su of the People Power Party said South Korea needs a major shift to an “energy mix” that can deliver both stable power supplies and carbon reductions, calling for balanced expansion of renewable energy and nuclear power.
In written remarks for the “2026 Ajunews Energy Forum” held Tuesday at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, Park said the country should not repeat “past mistakes” of concentrating national capacity on a single energy source based on ideology or bloc politics.
Park, whose constituency includes Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Uljin counties in North Gyeongsang Province, said Shin Hanul nuclear power plant is operating in Uljin and plans are being pursued to build a national industrial complex for nuclear hydrogen. He added that Yeongdeok is also seeking to attract a new nuclear plant, saying he feels the importance of energy policy “more keenly than anyone.”
He cited a government outlook that new electricity demand from future core industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence data centers and electric vehicles will more than double, saying a supply environment is emerging that would be difficult to handle with a structure centered only on fossil fuels and renewables.
According to demand projections released during the government’s work on the 12th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, South Korea’s power consumption in 2040 is expected to rise to as much as 694.1 TWh, with peak demand reaching up to 128.2 GW. Compared with the previous plan, projected new demand from future core industries jumped to 173 TWh from 79 TWh.
Park said choices made by the current generation should not cause future generations to lose competitiveness on the global stage, adding that he hopes the forum will help find practical solutions to protect both South Korea’s energy security and industrial competitiveness.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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