Kim Sung-hwan, the Minister of Climate, Energy, and Environment of South Korea, addressed the ongoing development of the 12th basic plan for electricity supply, stating that he will comprehensively assess whether new nuclear constructions should be included. He admitted that the public discourse surrounding the approval of the 11th basic plan -- which envisions the construction of two large nuclear plants and small modular reactors under the Yoon Suk-yeol government -- was somewhat insufficient. Notably, the 11th plan was confirmed following a deliberative process that the current government, led by Lee Jae-myung, conducted with the public's participation.

In a New Year's press conference held at the Government Complex in Sejong, Minister Kim acknowledged that there was significant public interest regarding how the 12th basic plan would approach nuclear energy policies, especially in light of concerns about energy generation amid the proposed cessation of coal-fired power plants by 2040. He highlighted that during the process of consolidating five power generation public corporations currently operating coal plants, two to three pathways would be presented to the public for discussion by April or May 2023, according to previous plans.

Addressing criticisms that the public discussion regarding nuclear power had failed to engage adequately with essential debates, Kim conceded that while he acknowledged some criticisms about hasty discussions, he believed that continual debate throughout the formulation of the 12th basic plan could lead to inconclusive outcomes yet again. He emphasized the need for a more transparent engagement process and stated that various scenarios would be included to simulate an optimal model that effectively addresses safety, flexibility, and intermittency issues, thus intending to share the process with the public more openly.