South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at the G7
South Korea’s transition bottlenecks keep LNG in play
The country’s new government has grand plans for renewables, but the structural changes needed for these policies will take years to carry out
Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has promised to cut the country’s reliance on LNG while phasing out coal and rapidly scaling renewable power. However, the country’s power system was not designed to adapt quickly, and the structural changes needed to support this vision are likely years away from materialising. Electricity demand is forecast to climb steadily amid continued investment in the semiconductor, AI and datacentre sectors. With nuclear output already near its limits, renewables constrained by transmission bottlenecks and regulatory misalignment, and a lack of cross-border interconnectors, South Korea’s dependence on LNG is likely to expand in the coming years. Lee
Also in this section
6 February 2026
The long close relationship between key supplier Qatar and pivotal buyer Japan becomes even deeper following new landmark deal
6 February 2026
Partnerships across the LNG value chain have evolved over time, growing in both complexity and importance, according to panellists at LNG2026
6 February 2026
Nigeria's mega-refinery is still trying to solve many challenges, all while its owner talks up expansion
5 February 2026
While broadly supportive of EU efforts to tackle methane emissions, representatives of the gas industry warn it could deter supply contracting if timelines and compliance requirements are not made more pragmatic
