Solar panels are set up on the rooftop of Konghang High School in western Seoul on July 17, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — The proportion of Korean-made parts dropped while Chinese-made parts increased in the domestic solar power market in the last five years, data showed Sunday.
The proportion of Korean-made solar modules stood at 68 percent as of June this year, down by 5 percentage points from 2017, according to data released by Rep. Lee In-sun of the ruling People Power Party.
In contrast, the proportion of Chinese-made solar modules rose from 27 percent to 32 percent.
Considering the current method of measurement that regards modules made with Chinese cells as Korean products, the actual proportion of Korean products is even lower, Lee said.
South Korea is lagging behind in the production of solar cells, which has dropped from 40 percent in 2017 to 35 percent in June this year.
In contrast, Chinese-made solar cells have gone up from 52 percent to 59 percent in terms of presence in the Korean solar cells market.
The Korea Energy Economics Institute reported that South Korea has seen the complete deprivation of companies that make polysilicon, ingots and wafers while the U.S. and the EU invested to bolster their domestic supply network and value chain of solar panels.
South Korea’s domestic value chain for solar panels has de facto been cut off, Lee said.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
