Home > Business > Economy

Korea likely to see record demand for power due to scorching heat

Published: 10 Jul. 2025, 16:18

An electric board over a road in downtown Seoul shows the tempertaure on July 8. [YONHAP]

Korea will likely see record-high electricity demand this summer as the heat wave is expected to continue into August, the Industry Ministry said Thursday.

Power authorities forecast that maximum electricity demand would reach 97.8 gigawatts (GW) this summer, which will mark a fresh high, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. To date, the highest power demand on record is 97.1 GW, posted on Aug. 20, 2024.

On Tuesday, the country logged the second-highest power demand of 95.7 GW as many regions saw highest-ever temperatures for July.

The temperature in Seoul soared to 37.7 degrees Celsius (99.9 degrees Fahrenheit) Tuesday, the highest temperature ever recorded in early July since record-keeping began in 1908, while the mercury climbed to above 40 degrees in the nearby cities of Gwangmyeong and Paju, Gyeonggi.

The ministry expects country's average temperature for the first half of July to hit an all-time high, noting that above-average temperatures will likely continue into August and September.

Korea normally experiences higher temperatures in August than it does in July.

The ministry said it has secured additional power reserves of 8.7 GW, on top of the pre-existing 8.8 GW reserve, to respond to soaring electricity demand.

To alleviate the financial burden on people, the power authorities have eased the brackets of the progressive electricity rate system for July and August and have begun providing energy vouchers to low-income households, it added.

Yonhap