Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-whan speaks during a press conference at the Climate Ministry in Sejong on Oct. 1.YONHAP
Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-whan said during a press conference marking the first anniversary of the ministry on Thursday that it will "phase out coal-fired power generation by 2040" and pursue a major energy transition centered on nuclear and renewable energy.
"We plan to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2040, use nuclear power as part of the energy mix and expand renewable energy capacity to 100 gigawatts," Kim said at the Climate Ministry in Sejong. "To tackle the climate crisis, we need to change how we produce and use energy and move from a system that wastes resources to one that reuses them."
Expanding renewable energy capacity to 100 gigawatts means increasing Korea's ability to generate electricity from sources such as solar and wind power, reducing its reliance on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.
As for notable changes brought about by the Climate Ministry, Kim highlighted the shift in public perceptions of EVs and the rise in EV registrations as “one of the biggest changes."
“Until early last year, people felt very hesitant about buying EVs, but after the Climate Ministry was launched, we made efforts to change that,” Kim said at the ministry's office in Sejong. “We introduced incentives for people who switch from gas-powered cars to EVs among other measures, and worked hard to improve the negative perceptions of EVs among the public.”
After the Climate Ministry was launched on Oct. 1 of last year, it introduced a subsidy program under which buyers of mid-size EVs could receive up to 6.8 million won ($5,000), which was followed by a rise in the number of people transitioning to EVs this year.
Around 1.16 million EVs are registered in Korea as of August, compared to 899,101 in 2025, according to data shared by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
“Thanks to our efforts, EVs now account for 23 percent of new vehicle sales, although the war in the Middle East has also played a role,” Kim said, implying that some people chose EVs in response to rising oil prices. “From a psychological standpoint, when a new product accounts for more than around 30 percent of purchases, people start to see it as a mainstream choice. We have reached that point. People are now starting to think, ‘When I buy my next car, maybe I should get an EV.’ I think that shift in how people view EVs is one of the biggest changes we have achieved.”
Kim also pointed to the decline in the lovebug population as another achievement by the Climate Ministry that the public can see.
“How many lovebugs were there on Gyeyangsan Mountain [in Incheon] last year? This year, our ministry and its affiliated agencies have carried out active pest-control efforts, and as a result, we have seen a noticeable decrease in lovebug sightings across the Seoul metropolitan area,” Kim said. “I think that has also helped reduce a major inconvenience in people’s daily lives.”
A lovebug is seen on a sign at Baengnyeonsan Mountain in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on June 24.YONHAP
Lovebugs are small, black flies that often appear in large numbers during warm weather.
Many hikers reportedly complained about lovebugs last year, but the Climate Ministry’s preliminary pest-control efforts have led to a significant decline in their numbers this year, according to a press release shared by the ministry.
As for efforts to address energy supply concerns stemming from the war in the Middle East, the ministry said it has worked to ensure a stable supply of essential goods in Korea.
“After the war broke out, the ministry immediately launched an emergency energy response team to closely monitor the situation in the Middle East and regularly check fuel supplies,” the ministry said in the press release. “The ministry also closely monitored nationwide stocks of garbage bags and moved supplies between regions to prevent shortages.”
