Kim Dong-chan
 
The author is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute of Science and Technology


 
The government and ruling party have ignited debate by proposing the creation of a Climate, Energy and Environment Ministry, citing the need to respond to global warming and implement climate agreements. Yet, it is worth asking whether establishing a new ministry is the right step. In the short term, strengthening an interministerial council based on existing structures may reduce trial and error, limit national waste and ensure effectiveness.
 
In 2015, the Paris Agreement set an international goal of limiting the rise in global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Most countries pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Some European states set earlier targets, while China and India named 2060 and 2070, respectively. The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, generated from burning oil, coal and natural gas. Pursuing net-zero emissions inevitably increases energy costs and reshapes future energy use.
 

A view of the Sangmyeong Wind Farm in Geumak-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju City, on Aug. 1, 2024. On that day, Korea Midland Power employees carried out blade repair work using a 75-meter (246-foot) crane. [YONHAP]

 
Energy policy rests on three pillars: security of supply, affordability and environmental sustainability. In Korea, the Carbon Neutral Green Growth Commission has laid out measures to reach the 2050 target. These focus on energy: expanding the share of renewable generation from about 10 percent today to several times that by midcentury, sharply increasing hydrogen supply, scaling down fossil fuel use, expanding carbon capture and storage and addressing the treatment of spent nuclear fuel while building public acceptance of nuclear power.
 
Higher costs will follow any transition. Policies to cut emissions through conservation and efficiency will be essential. From that perspective, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, with its long experience overseeing energy policy, is best placed to coordinate the effort. Carving out part of its portfolio to merge with the Environment Ministry does not guarantee effectiveness.
 
 
Comparisons with Europe and Australia are difficult. These countries have abundant renewable resources and land, with renewable generation accounting for 40 to 50 percent of supply. Norway produces over 95 percent of its power from hydro, wind and bioenergy. Korea, by contrast, derives less than 10 percent of its electricity from renewables. The new ministry proposal raises doubts about whether such structural changes in energy demand and supply can be managed effectively.
 
Energy consumption is roughly 70 percent heat and 30 percent electricity. Renewables mainly affect electricity, with limited impact on heating. If energy responsibilities are split from the Trade Ministry, accountability for these critical areas will be unclear.
 
More than 60 percent of Korea’s final energy consumption is in industry, concentrated in steel, petrochemicals and cement. A shift in steelmaking from coal to hydrogen-based processes could multiply energy costs several times over, undermining international competitiveness.
 

A view of the Kori-1 nuclear reactor (first from right) in Jangan-eup, Gijang County, Busan, on June 26. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission held a meeting that day and decided to decommission Kori-1, Korea’s first nuclear power plant, 53 years after it was approved for construction in 1972. [YONHAP]

 
Global emissions are dominated by China, the United States, India and Russia, which together account for more than half of the world’s total. China alone far outpaces others. If these countries hesitate to implement carbon neutrality, the contributions of smaller economies will have limited impact. U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement on his first day in office this January, and the commitment of China, India and Russia remains uncertain. Under these conditions, Korea must ask whether it should move ahead with a new ministry at the risk of rising costs, policy confusion, and weakened expertise.
 
Carbon neutrality must be closely linked with energy and industrial policy. Considering the financial burden, sustainability must remain central. The more practical option is to retain the current government structure, strengthen interministerial coordination, and treat the creation of a Climate, Energy and Environment Ministry as a medium- to long-term task rather than an immediate priority.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.