Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung stated Thursday that there is "almost no chance" of constructing new nuclear power plants due to the lengthy time required for their development, advocating instead for an increased reliance on renewable energy sources.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee's comments came during a press conference commemorating his 100 days in office, shortly after Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan suggested the possibility of suspending the nation's current plans to build new nuclear reactors. Lee questioned the feasibility of such plans, citing the uncertain timeline and noting the escalating demand for power to support artificial intelligence data centers. "Even if we start (building) now, it's uncertain it would be built even after 10 years, is that a plan?" he remarked, expressing skepticism about the likelihood of these projects coming to fruition.
In February, the nation concluded its 11th basic plan on electricity supply and demand, which included the development of two nuclear reactors and one small modular reactor (SMR). However, Lee expressed concerns over these plans, pointing out that constructing new nuclear reactors requires a minimum of 15 years and that SMR technology is still not fully matured.
Lee emphasized the urgent need for a substantial amount of power and proposed that renewable energy, like solar and wind power, offers the quickest solution. "We need a tremendous amount of power immediately and the way to most quickly supply that is through renewable energy, like solar and wind power," he stated. He further highlighted the advantage of building solar and wind power facilities, which can be established on a large scale within one to two years.
Lee's statements indicate that the forthcoming basic plan on electricity supply and demand, expected to be finalized in the first half of the next year, will likely undergo revisions regarding the construction of new nuclear power plants.