South Korea’s capital, Seoul
Muddled policies cloud Korean LNG outlook
Planned terminal expansions do not fit with Seoul’s stated goals of trimming LNG dependence
South Korea has long been one of the world’s largest LNG consumers, alongside Japan, China and—more recently—the EU. But despite a huge and ongoing buildout of regasification infrastructure, the medium-to-long-term outlook for Korean LNG demand is unclear. The country aims to meet its net-zero targets in part through a sharp reduction in its dependence on imported LNG, even while vacillation on nuclear policy brings additional uncertainty. South Korea has managed to trim its coal use in recent years and raise the proportion of gas in the generation mix as it seeks to achieve net zero by 2050. The government is closing ageing coal-fired plants and imposed a 28% tax on imports of the solid fue
Also in this section
30 January 2026
As KPC deepens international partnerships, expands capacity and builds on breakthrough offshore success, Shaikh Nawaf S. Al Sabah says oil interdependence—not self sufficiency—will define the energy system for decades to come
29 January 2026
Caught between LNG risks from across the Atlantic and the wounds from Russian gas dependence, Europe needs more than a simple diversification strategy
28 January 2026
The alliance looks to bolster market management credibility by bringing greater clarity and unity to output cuts and producer capacity later in 2026
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
