[Breaking] "New Nuclear Power Plant Plans Should Proceed as Planned"... 69.6% Gallup Korea, 61.9% Realmeter

Ministry Releases Results of Nationwide Public Opinion Survey
90% of Respondents Say "Nuclear Power Is Necessary"
Announcement on New Nuclear Power Plant Promotion Plans Coming Soon

Exterior view of Saewool Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power

A recent public opinion poll found that 90% of South Koreans believe nuclear power plants are necessary. Additionally, 70% of respondents said that the construction of new nuclear power plants should proceed as planned. Accordingly, it is expected that the construction of two new nuclear power plants, as outlined in the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand, will move forward as scheduled.

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced the results of a nationwide public opinion survey on the new nuclear power plant plans included in the 11th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand on January 21.

This survey was conducted by two organizations: Gallup Korea and Realmeter. Gallup Korea conducted telephone interviews with 1,519 respondents, while Realmeter carried out an automated response system (ARS) survey with 1,505 respondents. To ensure the representativeness of the survey, samples were extracted using proportional allocation based on gender, age, and region.

According to the Gallup Korea survey, 48.9% of respondents said renewable energy should be expanded in the future, followed by nuclear power at 38.0% and liquefied natural gas (LNG) at 5.6%. Regarding the necessity of nuclear power, 89.5% said it is necessary, while 7.1% said it is not necessary.

On the safety of nuclear power, 60.1% considered it safe, while 34.2% considered it dangerous. When asked about the implementation of new nuclear power plant plans included in the 11th Basic Plan, 69.6% responded that the plans should be pursued, while 22.5% said they should be halted.

According to the Realmeter survey, 43.1% of respondents said renewable energy should be expanded in the future, followed by nuclear power at 41.9% and LNG at 6.7%.

Regarding the necessity of nuclear power, 82.0% said it is necessary, while 14.4% said it is not necessary. On the safety of nuclear power, 60.5% considered it safe, while 34.0% considered it dangerous.

When asked about the implementation of new nuclear power plant plans included in the 11th Basic Plan, 61.9% responded that the plans should be pursued, while 30.8% said they should be halted.

The ministry explained that it did not disclose the names of the specific survey organizations or the detailed survey questions in advance. This decision was based on expert opinions that prior disclosure could distort the sample by attracting only interested individuals, or lead to biased responses if respondents learned about third-party evaluations of the questions.

The ministry stated, "We plan to announce the new nuclear power plant promotion plan soon, based on the results of two rounds of policy discussions and this public opinion survey."