Eight out of 10 Koreans support nuclear power plants

Korea‘s first export nuclear power plant. Unit 3 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. [Photo by Yonhap]

Eight out of 10 South Koreans support the operation of nuclear power plants, according to a survey conducted by international energy consulting firm Radiant Energy Group Ltd. The firm surveyed citizens of 20 countries, including Korea, between October and November 2023.

The Korea Energy Information Culture Agency (KEIA) released a report citing the Radiant Energy Group survey on Sunday which shows 82 percent of Korean respondents favored the continued use of nuclear power plants. The figure is the second highest after China’s 86 percent among the countries surveyed.

Koreans strongly supported the construction of new nuclear power plants, with 50 percent in favor, alongside Russia (61 percent), China and the United Arab Emirates (56 percent), India (54 percent), and the Philippines (53 percent).

Regarding the preference for clean energy, nuclear power received 25 percent support from Koreans, ranking second behind solar power (33 percent).

[Source: Radiant Energy Group]

Radiant Energy Group surveyed 20,112 people in 20 countries around the world, including 16 countries where commercial nuclear power plants are in operation, such as the United States and China, and four countries without operational commercial nuclear power plants, namely Italy, Norway, the Philippines, and Australia.

Across 20 major countries, support for and opposition to nuclear power were 46 percent and 28 percent respectively, with the support ratio around 1.5 times higher. On a country-by-country basis, support for nuclear power exceeded the opposition in 17 of the 20 countries.