Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Is DPK coming around on nuclear energy?
An environmental activist wears a skull mask at an anti-nuclear rally in central Seoul, March 9, 2023. Signs have emerged that the liberal Democratic Party of Korea may formally change its stance on the use of nuclear power after trying to phase out the energy source during the Moon Jae-in administration. Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
Lee Jae-myung floats idea of keeping nuclear in energy mix
After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, liberal politicians here embraced the idea of phasing out Korea's reliance on nuclear power, a stance that defined the energy policy of the liberal Moon Jae-in administration.
Now, it seems the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is changing its mind on the issue, as party officials say completely excluding nuclear energy is no longer a viable policy option.
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the party’s leading contender for the next presidency, talked of "energy mix," a concept of combining diverse energy sources which usually include nuclear power, in his climate pledges ahead of the June 3 election.
On Earth Day on Tuesday, Lee vowed to achieve four long-term objectives for the nation’s environment: mapping out a more specific plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, eliminating the use of plastic, reducing fine dust and preserving biodiversity.
In a separate social media message targeting residents on Jeju Island the following day, Lee also said he would lead the efforts to develop more green technologies to make the energy supply more reliable. But there was no mention of nuclear energy — whether he seeks to phase it out, keep the status quo or increase it.
When asked of the DPK's stance over nuclear energy following Lee's comments, party officials suggested the idea of keeping nuclear reactors in the energy mix plan, saying the Moon government’s nuclear phase-out plan would be infeasible in the new industrial era of generative AI, which requires a lot of energy.
"There are various sources in the energy mix — alternative energy, nuclear energy and liquefied natural gas — and we need to come up with proper ratios (of the sources)," said Rep. Yoon Hu-duk of the party, who works as policy chief of Lee's election camp.
"Energy is reality. When we secure electricity, the country can grow and people can have daily lives," he said. "Energy mix is inevitable."
The party is expected to clarify on the issue when it determines its presidential candidate on April 27 after the ongoing primary race.
This move of the DPK has drawn disappointment from many environmentalists ― a group that traditionally supports liberal politicians.
A group of activists, including members of Green Korea, urged the DPK to abandon the pro-nuclear energy policy embraced by the conservative former Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
“The energy policy of the next administration, which will be established after the upcoming June 3 election, is a critical transition that will define the next many decades,” they said in a joint statement, Tuesday. “The DPK should not put forward the unjust energy policy (of the previous Yoon administration) just because more energy would be needed for AI.”
Politically, the party’s shift in stance in not surprising, according to Cho Jin-man, a professor of politics at Duksung Women’s University.
“Many people now know firsthand that phasing out nuclear energy is not free,” Cho told The Korea Times Wednesday. “Moreover, nuclear energy is considered to be important for AI development and Korea’s economy as the nation remains a major exporter of nuclear power technology. I think all this affected Lee to consider changing the party’s stance on the issue … Such a decision could cause a serious factional conflict. But he has room for such moves, thanks to the high level of support he enjoys.”