2026-09-24 · contested story
Korea Revives Public Debate on New Nuclear Plants After Nine Years - Seoul Economic Daily
In September 2026, South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced a three-month public deliberation on the role of nuclear power before finalizing the country's 12th Basic Plan for Long-Term Electricity Supply and Demand. The move—the first major public deliberation on nuclear plants since the Moon Jae-in administration's 2017 process on Shin Kori Units 5 and 6—comes as electricity demand surges from semiconductor, AI and electric vehicle industries. Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan framed it as a genuine consultation, saying the government is 'not beginning this process with a predetermined answer,' while the announcement of the draft electricity plan was postponed from October to year-end to incorporate the results.
How each side frames it
left
"Lee Jae-Myung Administration Launches Public Deliberation on New Nuclear Power Plants… Criticized as “Building Justification for Construction”"
"Nuclear power is clean, reliable, and safe. This industry is vital to Korea's future."
"the rest of the world could benefit"
center
"This round of deliberation moves away from a yes-or-no question on building new nuclear plants. The plan is to discuss comprehensively the role of nuclear power as one of several options to meet future electricity demand."
"Kim said rising electricity demand has prompted calls for a larger role for nuclear power but public concerns remain over safety and spent nuclear fuel."
"Kim said a recent recalculation increased the estimated cost of nuclear-generated electricity from about 65 won per kilowatt-hour to 79 won per kilowatt-hour."
"“It typically takes nine to 10 years to build a nuclear power plant. We will examine ways to shorten that timeline,” Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, told reporters on Monday."
"“This decision will be entirely the Lee Jae Myung administration's responsibility, so we believed it was appropriate to listen more deeply to public opinion before making a judgment,” Kim said."
right
"Editorial: 82.9% Support New Nuclear Plants, Why Public Deliberation?"
"Suddenly announcing public deliberation raises suspicion that it is a time-buying tactic to appease opposition from environmental groups."
"Large-scale nuclear power plants take more than 15 years from site selection to completion. Even if started now, it will be tight to meet the 2040 deadline."
"The government stated that this public deliberation is not a procedure to decide whether to build new nuclear power plants or the scale of construction. Then, it is unclear what the purpose of the public deliberation is."
"Despite earlier supporting a phasing out of nuclear power following the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, he pledged to maximize the use of nuclear energy and push for geothermal and other renewable sources to meet the soaring electricity needs of data centers in the age of AI."
What each side left out
The right left out — covered by the Chosun Biz & UPI
- the citizens' jury deliberative process design
- recalculated nuclear cost of 79 won/kWh
- the 11-member non-stakeholder council structure
The right left out — covered by the UPI
- public safety and spent nuclear fuel concerns as legitimate deliberation inputs
The left left out — covered by the The Chosun Ilbo & Chosun Biz
- the 82.9% public support figure for including new plants in the plan
- the surging AI/semiconductor electricity demand forecast
The center left out — covered by the Ground News (Hani) & The Chosun Ilbo
- explicit critique that the deliberation is 'building justification for construction'
- explicit critique that it is a 'time-buying tactic'
The left left out — covered by the The Chosun Ilbo & Bloomberg
- the 15-year construction-to-completion timeline argument against delay
What's actually true?
[verified] South Korea will hold a three-month public deliberation on nuclear power before finalizing its 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand.
[verified] The draft electricity plan, originally scheduled for October, was postponed to the end of the year to incorporate the deliberation.
[unverified] 82.9% of respondents in the Energy Information Culture Foundation's survey said the new nuclear plant construction plan should be included in the Basic Plan.
[verified] The deliberation committee will have up to 11 members appointed as neutral figures who are not nuclear stakeholders.
[verified] A nuclear power plant typically takes nine to 10 years to build; the government is examining ways to shorten that timeline.
[unverified] The estimated cost of nuclear-generated electricity was recalculated upward from about 65 won to 79 won per kilowatt-hour.
[unverified] The maximum electricity demand forecast for 2040 reaches 158.4–165.0 GW if the three major mega-projects are reflected, an increase equivalent to the capacity of 19 nuclear plants.
[verified] There was a public deliberation process on Shin Kori Units 5 and 6 during the Moon Jae-in administration in 2017.
The narrative clash
Is public deliberation on nuclear plants necessary/legitimate?
Left: Lee Jae-Myung Administration Launches Public Deliberation on New Nuclear Power Plants… Criticized as “Building Justification for Construction”
Right: In the Energy Information Culture Foundation's public perception survey on energy released last month, 82.9% of respondents answered that the new nuclear power plant construction plan should be included in the Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand. It is hard to understand why public deliberation is necessary.
Whether the government has a predetermined outcome
Left: Government to “Public Debate on Nuclear Power”... Delaying Power Supply While Pursuing a Blitzkrieg in Semiconductors
Right: “We are not beginning this process with a predetermined answer. We will reflect the various public views and changes that emerge during the deliberation in our energy policy,” Kim said.
31 sources analyzed
Ground News Kyunghyang Shinmun The Chosun Ilbo Defense News Voice of America (VOA) Bloomberg Chosun Biz The Damage Report UPI South China Morning Post CSIS Newsmax The Daily Signal Boston Herald New York Post Richmond Times-Dispatch Boston Herald Boston Herald New York Post National Review Boston Herald New York Post New York Post Newsmax The Daily Signal Newsmax National Review Richmond Times-Dispatch National Review National Review Newsmax