Political polarization and the energy policy paradox: assessing the impact of South Korea’s nuclear power phase-out policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Polarization surrounding nuclear power has intensified in Korea following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. In 2017, President Moon Jae-in implemented an energy policy that shifted the focus from nuclear to renewable energy, a departure from previous governments’ approaches. Additionally, Moon administration supported various participatory governance initiatives to minimize social conflicts, including participatory deliberative polls concerning the construction of the Shin-Kori nuclear power plants. However, the Moon administration’s policy was followed by polarization between nuclear and renewable energy factions escalating toward the end of the term. We employed mixed-method approaches combining media and survey analyses to investigate this issue. The results demonstrate that, despite initially appearing to be policy neutral, renewable energy alternatives underwent polarization under the Moon administration. We emphasize the need to investigate effective strategies for utilizing participatory projects as tools to break, rather than reinforce, the political gridlock impeding energy transition.