South Korea

South Korea enters 2026 with a strengthened commitment to clean energy, driven by the government's ambition to deploy 100 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 while reducing greenhouse gas emissions 53-61% from 2018 levels.

The creation of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) in February 2026 consolidated climate, energy-transition, electricity and grid planning under one ministry, with the aim of streamlining decision-making and accelerating renewable deployment, although the ministry's founding phase caused initial delays. This integrated governance structure guides the country's long-term ambitions, including 12 GW of onshore wind and 25 GW of offshore wind by 2035. In parallel, Korea's clean energy push is shaped by a longstanding energy security imperative: the country imports more than 90% of its total energy needs, exposing it to global market volatility and geopolitical risks, an underlying vulnerability that reinforces the strategic value of accelerating domestic renewable deployment.

Onshore wind gains momentum

Within this context, onshore wind has gained momentum. On 2 February 2026, three wind farms that participated in the H2 2025 onshore competitive tender were selected under fixed-price contracts: the 72.28 MW AWP Yeongyang, the 48 MW Gokseong Cheonji Energy and the 36 MW Yeongam Samho. All three follow a resident participation model designed to strengthen public acceptance by sharing the economic benefits of wind revenues with local communities. These developments support the government's broader goal of accelerating onshore deployment to reach 6 GW by 2030, leveraging streamlined permitting and public-led planning. However, it has been observed that, due to the auctions' low ceiling price, all projects are likely to shift from the national auction scheme to individual PPAs aligned with RE100 requirements.