LNG crucial for South Korea despite nuclear focus
Liquefied gas may lose market share to nuclear in South Korea, but demand could still be robust
South Korea is the world’s third-largest LNG importer, behind China and Japan. The country takes in c.46mn t/yr of the fuel, more than 10pc of the global market, making it a key consumer in a sector that has only grown in importance since the start of the Ukraine war and the emergence of Europe as a competing demand hub. And despite Seoul’s renewed embrace of nuclear power and plans to trim its dependence on imported gas, South Korea’s LNG intake is unlikely to have peaked, analysts suggest. The government of President Yoon Suk Yeol plans to build new nuclear power plants, in a significant departure from the previous administration of Moon Jae-in, who halted nuclear projects and talked about
Also in this section
8 May 2024
Despite Australia’s first import terminal nearing completion, the prospect of additional regasification projects is far from certain
7 May 2024
Ample stocks and a soft demand outlook will limit how much LNG Europe can import this year
3 May 2024
Upcoming elections are likely to deliver a win for the party of president Andres Lopez Obrador, but analysts differ over to what degree his successor will stick to his energy policies
2 May 2024
Faster-than-expected economic growth fails to mask macro imbalances and shifting structural oil product trends