Credit: Public domain.
Two surveys conducted by Gallup Korea 한국 갤럽 and RealMeter 리얼미터 from January 12 to 16 showed 69.5% and 61.9% support for new nuclear power plants, respectively. The survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment 기후에너지환경부. The positivity toward new nuclear power plants is a turnaround from the negative perception that followed the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown in Japan.
Nuclear power has become a partisan issue, as the liberal Moon Jae-in 문재인 sought to phase it out and his successor Yoon Suk-yeol 윤석열 revived the push for nuclear power. President Lee Jae-myung 이재명 대통령 remarked on January 21 that the issue had become “too politicized” and suggested following popular opinion on additional nuclear power plants.
