From June 2025 through May 2026, fossil fuels supplied about 62% of South Korea’s electricity, while low-carbon sources supplied about 36%. Coal accounted for roughly a third of electricity consumption and gas for just over a quarter. Nuclear was the largest clean electricity source, supplying about a quarter of the total, followed by solar at around 7%. Biofuels and hydropower contributed roughly 1.5% and 1%, respectively. South Korea therefore has a substantial low-carbon foundation, but fossil fuels still dominate its electricity supply, contributing to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in South Korea?

Electricity consumption is growing, but only slightly: the latest 2026 figure reached about 12,214 kWh per person, just 31 kWh above the previous record of 12,183 kWh in 2025—an increase of roughly 0.3%. Meanwhile, low-carbon electricity generation fell to about 4,398 kWh per person, down 272 kWh, or nearly 6%, from its 2025 record. That combination of nearly stagnant consumption and declining clean generation is concerning. South Korea needs stronger growth in low-carbon electricity to support electrification and rising demand from AI without increasing dependence on fossil fuels.

Suggestions

South Korea should expand its established nuclear generation alongside a major increase in solar electricity. France, where nuclear supplies about 67% of electricity, demonstrates how nuclear can anchor a predominantly low-carbon system; Finland’s nuclear share of about 38% also offers a useful benchmark. For solar, industrial economies such as Germany and the Netherlands generate about 20% and 19% of their electricity from solar, respectively—well above South Korea’s 7%. The US state of California, at about 31% solar, provides another example of large-scale deployment. South Korea can also learn from the United Kingdom, where wind supplies about 30% of electricity, when developing its coastal and offshore wind resources. These regions show how nuclear, solar and wind can work together to expand clean electricity supply.

History

South Korea’s recorded low-carbon electricity history is dominated by nuclear expansion. In the late 1980s, the listed annual nuclear gains ranged from 7 to 11 TWh, followed by substantial increases throughout the 1990s, including roughly 13 TWh in both 1998 and 1999. Growth continued in the 2000s, with a particularly strong 16 TWh increase in 2005. The following decade was more uneven: an approximately 12 TWh decline in 2013 was followed by an 18 TWh rebound in 2014, but consecutive losses of about 14 and 15 TWh in 2017 and 2018 were serious setbacks for clean electricity production. Generation recovered by about 12 TWh in 2019 and rose strongly again in 2022 and 2024. The roughly 15 TWh decline recorded in 2026 is another deeply disappointing reversal, underscoring the importance of sustaining and expanding nuclear output rather than allowing these hard-won clean electricity gains to erode.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Jun 2025 – May 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.