On 8 April 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) published the “Green Transition Roadmap 2.0”, a major revision of its previously cautious energy plan. The new roadmap responds to mounting criticism – both domestically and internationally – that South Korea is falling behind in the global clean energy race, despite being a major manufacturer of batteries and electric vehicles.

The headline target: increase renewable energy capacity from ~35 GW in 2025 to 100 GW by 2030, with a renewable electricity share of at least 20%. Solar will account for 55 GW, onshore wind 22 GW, offshore wind 18 GW, and other renewables (biomass, small hydro) 5 GW. Offshore wind receives particular attention: the roadmap identifies eight “strategic zones” off the coasts of Jeolla, South Chungcheong and Ulsan, with a goal of 4 GW operational by 2028.

Coal phase out: All coal fired power plants will be permanently closed by 2035, except for up to 3 GW of capacity retrofitted with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). Those CCUS equipped plants will only be allowed to operate at 30% capacity factor for grid stability purposes. The roadmap also cancels two previously planned coal plants in Samcheok and converts three existing plants to biomass (with strict sustainability criteria).

Nuclear energy: While the previous administration (Moon Jae in) sought a nuclear phase out, the current government has reversed course. The roadmap reaffirms that nuclear remains a key low carbon source, with 6 new reactors (APR1400 or SMR designs) to be completed by 2035, raising nuclear’s share to about 30%.

Investment and jobs: MOTIE estimates that the transition will require KRW 300 trillion (approx USD 230 billion) of public and private investment. That is expected to create 360,000 new direct jobs in renewable power plants, grid construction, storage manufacturing and green industrial retrofits. A “Clean Energy Workforce Training Centre” will be established with KRW 1.5 trillion.

The roadmap also introduces a “renewable energy auction” system to replace the previous feed in tariff, aiming to lower costs through competition. The first auction, for 2 GW of solar and 1 GW of offshore wind, will be held in November 2026. Environmental groups welcomed the coal phase out but criticised the continued reliance on nuclear and biomass, while business lobbies expressed concerns about energy price increases. MOTIE has announced a 90 day public consultation before final adoption in July 2026.