Nuclear power accounted for the largest share of all electricity traded in South Korea in 2024, reclaiming its position as the country’s leading power source for the first time in 18 years.

According to the Korea Power Exchange on Sunday, nuclear power accounted for 32.5 percent of the total electricity transactions of 549,387 gigawatt-hours (GWh) last year, making it the most significant source of electricity generation. It was followed by liquefied natural gas (LNG) at 29.8 percent, coal at 29.4 percent, and renewable energy at 6.9 percent.

The share of nuclear power last year was the highest in 15 years since 2009, when it was 34.8 percent, and the first time since 2006 that nuclear power became the largest power source in the country. The utilization rate of nuclear power was also the highest in nine years last year at 83.8 percent, recovering significantly from a drop to 65.9 percent in 2018.

The trend continued into 2025, with nuclear power electricity transactions in January hitting a record monthly high of 17,015 GWh. The increase is attributed to the increase in the number of operational nuclear reactors in Korea, including the commercial operation of the Shin Hanul Unit 2 in April 2024, as well as the overall rise in nuclear power usage.

The total number of operational nuclear reactors in Korea has now increased to 26.

“In order to lower the overall cost of carbon-free energy, nuclear power should be used to complement the expensive generation costs of renewable energy,” Park Jong-bae, professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Konkuk University, said. “Korea should also use energy storage systems (ESS) and LNG power generation as the three main pillars of our energy mix policy alongside nuclear power.”

LNG power generation has also been increasing as a trend in the country alongside nuclear power. The share of LNG power generation surpassed that of coal power generation last year for the first time.

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