[Korea] A major failure in the nuclear phase - out policy highlighted by the rise in electricity prices - Passing the blame on to the people and giving them cold water.

Photo by Roadgo (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

The South Korean government has decided to raise household electricity rates by ５ won per kWh starting in July. This year's additional measures are expected to raise prices by about １５%.

KEPCO posted an operating deficit of ５.８６ trillion won last year, the largest in its history. The deficit in the first quarter of this year was already ７.８ trillion won, and unless the tariffs are raised, the annual deficit is expected to reach ２０ trillion to ３０ trillion won. Therefore, the idea is to transfer that deficit to the people as usage fees.

The Moon Jae-in government is being held responsible for its policy of ``phasing out nuclear power without increasing electricity rates.'' KEPCO, which had a surplus of several trillion won, became a loss-making company under the Moon government. During the five years of the Moon administration, KEPCO's debt increased by ４１ trillion won. There are reports that if we phase out nuclear power, electricity costs will have to rise by ２.６% every year, and by ４０% by ２０３０.

Korea Electric Power is South Korea's public power company. Japan's ban on importing seafood from Fukushima, the release of treated water into the ocean, and the controversy surrounding athletes' meals at the Tokyo Olympics are all efforts to cover up the failures of energy policy under the Moon Jae-in administration and distract the public. It looks like it was a festival.

They completely ignore scientific evidence, create sensationalism, and link it to anti-Japanese sentiment. When this happens, the Korean people lose their cool and become overheated. This is the result of anti-Japanese education, and is like an anti-Japanese switch that the South Korean government often uses.

The anti-Japanese mood seems to have eased somewhat with the arrival of the Yun Seok-Yeong administration, but will the public bear the burden of the Moon Jae-in administration's failures in energy policy, which will further dampen the anti-Japanese fervor? Regarding the causal relationship between cause and effect, in Korean society the problem shifts to Japan. Japan has nothing to do with the failure of energy policy. Even if people say things have calmed down, I feel like it's already too late.