South Korea Turns to Coal, Nuclear Power to Curb Winter LNG Use

South Korea plans to curb liquefied natural gas (LNG) use this winter by leaning more on coal and nuclear power, a seasonal shift as heating demand peaks and Qatari supply is disrupted.

Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sungwhan described the policy in an interview Thursday, Oct. 15. “In the short term, we are in a situation where we must somehow reduce LNG demand,” Kim said. Winter gas demand can affect electricity prices and strain KEPCO, which pays market rates for fuel while selling power at regulated tariffs.

Missile damage at QatarEnergy’s Ras Laffan facilities affected South Korea’s LNG supply. Two damaged production trains represented 12.8 million metric tons of annual capacity, about 17% of Qatar’s export capacity. Repairs could take up to five years, and some long-term contracts would be affected by force majeure.

Qatari cargoes made up 14% of South Korea’s LNG imports. The Middle East’s share of the country’s LNG imports had fallen below 20% by the end of 2025. Korea Gas Corp. had prepared to maintain supply through an extended disruption to Qatari deliveries.

The JKM benchmark for October delivery was assessed at $25.908 per million British thermal units on Sept. 2. That was its highest assessment since it reached $28.315 on Dec. 30, 2022.

The winter policy comes alongside South Korea’s longer-term plans to reduce fossil-fuel dependence and build a renewable-energy-centered power system. The government’s K-GX plan, released Oct. 7, targets 100 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030 and 1,000 trillion won in funding over 2026–2035. The funding target includes 200 trillion won in fiscal resources and more than 790 trillion won in climate finance.