Anchoring power strategy: South Korea’s 11th Basic Plan

South Korea’s 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand (2024-2038) serves as the policy anchor for the nation’s long-term electricity supply strategy. Finalised in February 2025 together with key statutes pursuant to article 25 of the Electric Utility Act, it provides the regulatory framework guiding Korea’s energy transition.

Transmission infrastructure

It is recognised as a precondition to energy transition. The Special Act on Expansion of the National Power Grid (National Power Grid Act), enacted in March 2025 and effective since September 2025, was introduced to address grid capacity constraints that have emerged as a structural bottleneck in South Korea’s energy transition.

Amid transmission congestion and rapid load growth from electrification and data centres, the government has repositioned grid reinforcement as a prerequisite to achieving generation targets, shifting policy emphasis from capacity expansion alone to transmission adequacy in the country.

The National Power Grid Act establishes a statutory framework for designated transmission projects, enhances inter-agency co-ordination and introduces procedural mechanisms to streamline high-voltage infrastructure development. As a result, transmission and grid capacity are expected to become critical factors in assessing project feasibility.

Offshore wind  

The Special Act on the Promotion of Offshore Wind Power Distribution and Industry Development (OWP Promotion Act), enacted in March 2025 and taking effect in March 2026, introduces a government-led, zone-based planning model for offshore wind development.

Although offshore wind remains central to South Korea’s energy transition strategy, project development has frequently encountered structural and procedural inefficiencies including fragmented and decentralised permitting, environmental review complexity, and local stakeholder opposition.

Under the framework established by the OWP Promotion Act, offshore wind zones will be designated through centralised planning with environmental and stakeholder considerations reflected at an earlier stage. Furthermore, project approvals will follow integrated procedures. Its enforcement decree, which is currently under preparation, is expected to provide more detailed measures, including how zones are selected, how developers are appointed, and how grid interconnection is managed.

The restructuring is expected to improve regulatory predictability in offshore wind development, while potentially intensifying competition for participation in government-designated zones.

Nuclear energy waste governance

The Special Act on the Management of High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLRW Act), enacted in March 2025 and effective since September 2025, establishes a statutory framework governing institutional responsibility and procedural standards for the management of high-level radioactive waste.

While the 11th Basic Plan confirms nuclear energy as part of South Korea’s future energy generation mix, recognising it as a stable source of carbon-free baseload capacity, the sustainability of nuclear operations depends on the credible management of high-level radioactive waste.

The HLRW Act seeks to address this structural dependency by formalising the allocation of responsibilities and codifying procedural standards applicable to waste management, thereby establishing a stable foundation necessary for the continued participation of nuclear power in Korea’s energy system.

Distributed energy

The Special Act on Promotion of Distributed Energy (Distributed Energy Act), effective since June 2024, supports localised and distributed energy generation. By introducing grid impact assessment mechanisms to evaluate how new projects affect system stability, it promotes distributed resources while integrating them into grid planning.

Together with the 11th Basic Plan, localised and distributed energy generation complements transmission expansion by alleviating network congestion and enhancing overall system flexibility.

Hydrogen

The Hydrogen Economy Promotion and Hydrogen Safety Management Act (Hydrogen Act), effective since October 2025, provides the statutory basis for hydrogen production and safety regulation. Hydrogen’s role in power generation remains cost-dependent, but the act establishes its legislative foundation.

From blueprint to execution

The 11th Basic Plan marks a transition from policy declaration to legislative execution. Rather than remaining a strategic blueprint, the plan is being reinforced by a series of targeted special statutes that embed its priorities into binding regulatory structures.

The Korean government’s policy stance has shifted decisively toward the practical execution of the energy transition, rather than focusing on the energy targets it wishes to achieve.

While establishing a fundamental foundation for the overall transition by reforming transmission and grid systems, the government aims to expedite offshore wind development through government-led zoning, simultaneously promoting localised and distributed energy to alleviate grid congestion.

Furthermore, by providing guidance on nuclear waste management, it ensures that nuclear power continues to play a solid role as a reliable carbon-free energy source.

For investors and market participants, these shifts emphasise the importance of transmission and grid capacity in assessing project feasibility, while also offering improved regulatory certainty for offshore wind development. Moving forward, it will be important to closely monitor how these frameworks are further operationalised and translated into practice through detailed implementation measures, including subordinate enforcement decrees.

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