Nuclear crossroads under Lee Jae-myung: A slow fade or qualitative leap?

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Nuclear crossroads under Lee Jae-myung: A slow fade or qualitative leap?

Published: 04 Jun. 2025, 17:41 Updated: 04 Jun. 2025, 18:55

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Newly elected President Lee Jae-myung waves to his supporters in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 4. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The inauguration of Lee Jae-myung is fueling renewed concerns that the nuclear energy industry may once again face setbacks in its path to revitalization, given that the newly elected president from the liberal Democratic Party views nuclear energy as a “hazardous and unsustainable source."

Though he didn’t entirely rule out nuclear power energy and voiced openness to an energy mix, his policies have centered on solar, wind and other renewables, highlighting their role in the pursuit of the Renewable Energy 100 percent (RE100) target.

The Dukovany Nuclear Power Station in the Czech Republic, where Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power won an $18 billion deal to build two nuclear reactors. [SARAH CHEA]

“Nuclear power is inherently risky and raises long-term sustainability concerns,” Lee said during his first TV debate on May 18, citing major nuclear disasters like the Fukushima and Chernobyl accidents.

He did, however, emphasize an energy mix approach, adding that “the idea is to use it when necessary, but not excessively, and transition toward a society centered on renewable energy,” considering its contribution to boosting AI, his paramount policy, thanks to the enormous amount of electricity it produces.

Also pinpointing the issues of radioactive waste disposal, Lee has outlined plans to establish a new Ministry of Climate and Energy to act as a unified command center, achieving a balanced energy mix and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the ultimate goal of fully transitioning to a sustainable, low-carbon future.

The Shin-Hanul nuclear power plant is seen in Uljin, North Gyeongsang on Nov. 7, 2022. [NUCLEAR SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMISSION]

President Lee also proposed an "energy highway," a large-scale transmission network designed to join renewable energy production and a “sun and wind pension” program that encourages citizens to participate in renewable projects and receive dividends.

“The continued development and expansion of the nuclear energy industry is seen as essential in the face of a shifting global energy paradigm driven by carbon neutrality targets, AI technologies and the exponential rise of energy-intensive data centers,” said Kim Sung-joong, a nuclear engineering professor at Hanyang University, criticizing Lee’s pledge to achieve RE100 that has “largely proven ineffective.”

“Solar and wind power, while central to global energy discussions, are often criticized for their limited capacity to generate high-quality domestic employment, as much of the required infrastructure, such as panels and turbines, is imported rather than produced locally,” Kim added. “The nuclear industry is increasingly regarded not merely as an energy supply option, but as the ‘steel heart’ of national sustainability and resilience.”

Korea’s nuclear power industry endured a period of severe stagnation during the five-year term of former President Moon Jae-in, whose administration halted new nuclear power plant construction and banned life extensions for aging reactors.

Korea’s Kori Unit 2 reactor was decommissioned in April 2023, followed by Kori Unit 3 in September of the same year after its operating license expired. The planned Shin-Hanul Units 3 and 4 were also scrapped under the nuclear phaseout policy.

The estimated losses caused by Moon’s push to prematurely shut down operational reactors came in at 47.4 trillion won ($34.7 billion) between 2017 and 2030, according to a study by Seoul National University’s Nuclear Energy Policy Center. It suggested the total losses could be significantly higher, considering that the figure does not include secondary impacts such as the deterioration of the nuclear industry ecosystem.

But under former Yoon Suk Yeol’s pro-nuclear energy revival policy, the industry has regained momentum, with Korean companies like Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Doosan Enerbility aggressively gaining presence on the global stage. A KHNP-led consortium recently won an $18 billion nuclear reactor deal from the Czech government, beating competitive rivals — France’s EDF and U.S. Westinghouse.

The finalization of the deal, once postponed due to an injunction by EDF, is expected to regain momentum after the Czech Supreme Administrative Court on Wednesday scrapped the injunction.

This photo, provided by the Korea Electric Power Corporation, shows the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Korea is recognized as one of only six countries in the world capable of independently designing, constructing, operating and exporting nuclear power plants, along with France and Russia, as well as Britain, Canada and the United States.

“Lee’s administration is more likely to pursue qualitative growth in its nuclear energy sector rather than rapid expansion; the focus is expected to shift toward enhancing the safety of existing reactors, securing a site for high-level radioactive waste disposal, and investing in research and development of next-generation technologies such as small modular reactors,” said energy analyst Han Byeong-hwa from Eugene Investment & Securities.

“Nuclear power accounts for 31.5 percent of Korea’s electricity generation," making Korea the second-highest consumer of nuclear energy among countries with the highest electricity usage, Han said, adding, “The policy imperative now lies in managing these assets safely and responsibly, reducing the long-term burden of nuclear waste for future generations.”

BY SARAH CHEA, CHO YONG-JUN [[email protected]]