'Energy 3 Acts' Pass Subcommittee of Industry Committee… Ruling and Opposition Parties Say "Solving Long-Standing Power Supply Issues"

Energy 3 Laws Discussed at Ruling and Opposition Parties' Floor Strategy Meetings on the 18th
"Welcoming Passage at Industry, Trade, Energy, and SMEs Committee's Subcommittee" in Unison
Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Passed for the First Time in 10 Years Since Initial Proposal

The ruling and opposition parties expressed their welcome regarding the passage of the Energy 3 Laws at the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee's bill subcommittee, seeing it as a breakthrough for energy expansion.

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th. 2025.2.18 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

At the People Power Party's floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido on the 18th, Kim Sang-hoon, the policy chief of the People Power Party, said, "The Energy 3 Laws, which passed the subcommittee yesterday, are key future growth bills that the People Power Party and the government have been striving to pass," adding, "The core is to support speeding up power production." He continued, "Given the party emphasized the importance of the Energy 3 Laws, this subcommittee passage can be considered even more valuable."

At the Democratic Party's floor strategy meeting, Kim Won-i, the opposition party secretary of the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee, also said, "It is meaningful that the Democratic Party's efforts to prepare for the era of great energy transition have borne fruit," adding, "Once the bills pass, they are expected to serve as a catalyst for meeting the power demand needed for AI and advanced industries, as well as for carbon neutrality and energy security."

The National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee held the 1st Industry, Trade, Energy, and Patent Subcommittee the day before and passed the Energy 3 Laws (Special Act on Power Grid Expansion, Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste Management, Special Act on Offshore Wind Power) through bipartisan agreement.

The Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste Management passed the subcommittee for the first time in 10 years since the bill was initially proposed. The core of the bill is to establish the 'High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee' and to stipulate procedures and responsibilities for the permanent disposal and management of radioactive waste. Currently, spent nuclear fuel is stored in temporary storage facilities, but starting from 2030, Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, and Kori Nuclear Power Plant are expected to reach saturation. The bill was proposed as a government bill in November 2016 during the 20th National Assembly.

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th. 2025.2.18 Photo by Kim Hyun-min

The clause allowing conditional changes to storage capacity through the committee's deliberation and resolution, which had raised concerns among local residents, was deleted. Provisions were also included to mandate consultation with the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission before applying for site selection permits for management facilities, and to provide cash compensation for damages to local residents.

The Special Act on National Power Grid Expansion mainly aims to establish a government support and management system for power grid construction projects to expand large-scale power grids amid worsening power supply-demand imbalances. Through subcommittee discussions, a provision was added to prioritize the use of electricity where it is produced, emphasizing the aspect of balanced national development.

The Special Act on Offshore Wind Power explicitly states the purpose of strengthening public interest. This bill includes provisions for the government to lead the site planning stage to discover suitable locations and secure acceptance from stakeholders such as residents and fishermen, aiming to increase the low adoption rate of wind power facilities. It also includes a clause allowing the Minister of Strategy and Finance to apply for exemption from preliminary feasibility studies, which is expected to enable the offshore wind power projects to proceed swiftly.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.