South Korean president, in UAE, backs return to nuclear power to meet carbon neutral goals

His comments also underline Seoul’s commitment to nuclear power as it works to finish the Arabian Peninsula’s first atomic power plant

The US$20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant will one day account for nearly a quarter of all of the Emirates’ power needs

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Yoon’s comments at a summit in the UAE, made in front of the country’s leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, served to underline Seoul’s commitment to nuclear power as it works to finish the Arabian Peninsula’s first atomic power plant. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:29pm, 16 Jan 2023

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday that his nation’s efforts to be carbon neutral by 2050 would rely in part on returning to nuclear power, even though his predecessor had tried to move away from atomic power.

Yoon’s comments at a summit in the United Arab Emirates, made in front of the country’s leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, served to underline Seoul’s commitment to nuclear power as it works to finish the Arabian Peninsula’s first atomic power plant. That could see South Korea in line for lucrative maintenance contracts and future projects in the UAE, which Seoul has grown closer to over recent years.

“If our two countries join efforts in clean energy development … it will not only enhance our two countries energy security but also will contribute to global energy market stability,” Yoon said in an address at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

(Left to right, back) Yoon Suk-yeol, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Ilham Heydar Oghlu Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan. Photo: EPA-EFE

The UAE also promises to be carbon neutral by 2050 – a target that remains difficult to assess and one that the Emirates still has not fully explained how it will reach. The US$20 billion Barakah nuclear power plant, Seoul’s first attempt to build atomic reactors abroad, will one day account for nearly a quarter of all of the Emirates’ power needs.

Already, Yoon’s four-day trip the UAE has seen a promise from Sheikh Mohammed to invest some US$30 billion in the country. Heavyweight business leaders from Hyundai, Samsung and other companies also are taking part in the state visit.

During his trip, Yoon also visited South Korean special forces stationed in the UAE, a murky deployment that grew out of Seoul’s deal over the nuclear power plant. The Akh unit is comprised of some 150 troops.

Yoon takes a selfie with a contingent of the Akh unit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on January 15, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

“The UAE is our brother nation. … This isn’t a foreign country called the UAE – this right here, is your country,” a hawkish Yoon told the gathered forces. Both he and his wife, who accompanied him on the trip, wore desert fatigues.