South Korea’s Developing Net Zero Debacle

Neglectful of the economic wreckage that net zero policies have wrought in the U.K. and Germany, economic powerhouse South Korea has declared war on coal and liquified natural gas (LNG) to pursue more aggressive reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

Exhibiting a national masochism, Seoul is abandoning the very fuels that built its economy – and along with oil, the entire industrial world. By 2038, the country plans to slash LNG’s and coal’s combined share of  power generation from 60% to 20% while boosting the share of so-called renewable sources – like wind and solar –  to 33% from today’s 9%.

Until November 2025, things looked more sane as Seoul worked to secure its future. The government boosted investments in regional LNG ventures, expanded strategic petroleum reserves, and directed its energy giants – SK Innovation and KOGAS – to secure natural gas from Indonesia and Australia.

Since then, the government has replaced that playbook with objectives void of reason. The new plan demands a 40% cut in industrial emissions by 2030 (from 2018 levels) and bets the farm on unproven technologies like hydrogen, wind and solar. This is not a rational transition but rather reckless virtue signaling that puts national survival at risk.