South Korean president says carbon neutrality relies on return to nuclear power

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday that the country would rely in part on nuclear power, an energy source it’s shifted away from, to reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

Speaking at a summit in the United Arab Emirates, Yoon made the comments as South Korea works to finish the construction of a $20 billion nuclear power plant in the UAE, which is the first of its kind on the Arabian Peninsula.

“Korea has … declared its 2050 carbon neutrality goal,” Yoon said in an address at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. “To achieve this goal, we are working to rapidly restore the nuclear power system, which supplies carbon-free electricity.”

Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, made moves to shift South Korea away from the use of nuclear energy following the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan. 

Before entering office last year, Yoon declared his intention to reverse some of the nuclear phase-out policies that had been implemented by Moon, arguing they had led to an increased reliance on fossil fuels. 

The UAE has also made a commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. The hope is for the newly erected nuclear power facility to one day account for around a quarter of the country’s energy needs.