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Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks during the first meeting of the National Power Grid Expansion Committee at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Seoul, on October 1. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s government has designated nearly 100 new transmission and substation projects as “national backbone power grid facilities,” clearing the way for streamlined approvals and fast-tracked construction under a special power grid law that took effect last month.
The move, officials said Wednesday, is part of an ambitious plan to build what they call an “energy highway” — a nationwide transmission network designed to carry electricity from renewable energy clusters along the coasts to the industrial and population-heavy Seoul metropolitan area.
Under the designation, projects supplying power to advanced industrial complexes or connecting renewable sources will receive sweeping permitting exemptions. Once approved, they will be deemed to have secured as many as 35 separate licenses and permits, ranging from building codes to environmental protections.
Local governments must respond to permit requests within 60 days or face automatic approval, while public hearings will be managed directly by state utility Korea Electric Power Corp.
The government also plans to exempt such projects from preliminary feasibility reviews, centralize environmental assessments under the climate ministry, and link local fiscal transfers to regional cooperation on grid construction.
Seoul Pushes Aggressive Power Grid Expansion Amid Energy Security, AI Growth Needs (Image supported by ChatGPT)
Officials said they will also expand compensation for communities affected by high-voltage lines, increasing payments up to 4.5 times current levels and providing 2 billion won ($1.4 million) per kilometer of overhead lines.
The build-out envisions major transmission corridors along the country’s west coast by the 2030s, later extending to southern and eastern regions to create a looped grid by the 2040s. But critics warn the aggressive push risks triggering community backlash reminiscent of the 2010s protests in Miryang, where residents fiercely opposed transmission tower projects.
“The energy highway cannot be built at the expense of local communities,” said one industry analyst, noting that renewable-rich southern provinces will bear the brunt of construction while most of the benefits flow to Seoul.
At the same meeting, the government unveiled a strategy to foster a domestic industry in high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, a technology prized for its efficiency in long-distance power delivery and compatibility with renewable energy.
South Korea aims to complete large-scale HVDC development by 2030 and become a top-three global exporter of the technology in the following decade.
Two agreements were signed Wednesday: one between the climate ministry, KEPCO and other state utilities to build converter stations for a West Coast HVDC line, and another among KEPCO, industry groups and manufacturers including Hyosung Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Electric and LS Electric to establish a special-purpose company for demonstration projects by 2026.
Officials said the combined effort underscores the administration’s commitment to accelerate grid expansion, but acknowledged the challenge will be balancing speed with public consent.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
