South Korea Electricity: Generation Mix, Demand and Emissions
South Korea generated 628 TWh of electricity in 2025, according to Ember. Coal was the largest source at 31.1%, followed by nuclear (29.4%) and gas (28.0%). Demand was 628 TWh and each kWh generated emitted 418 gCO2/kWh. These are annual statistics for 2025, with monthly figures through August 2026; they are compiled from national sources and are not real time.
Key Facts
- South Korea generated 628 TWh of electricity in 2025.
- Coal supplied 31.1% of South Korea's electricity in 2025.
- Nuclear supplied 29.4% of South Korea's electricity in 2025.
- Gas supplied 28.0% of South Korea's electricity in 2025.
- Low carbon sources (nuclear and renewables) supplied 39.9% of South Korea's generation in 2025.
- The carbon intensity of South Korea's electricity was 418 gCO2/kWh in 2025.
- South Korea's carbon intensity in 2025 was 20% lower than in 1985, when it was 524 gCO2/kWh.
- South Korea had the 8th highest electricity demand among the 96 countries with Ember data for 2025.
Key Figures, 2025
| Measure | Value | As of / source |
|---|---|---|
| Total generation | 628 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Electricity demand | 628 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Demand per person | 12.09 MWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Net imports | 0 TWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Carbon intensity | 418 gCO2/kWh | 2025 · Ember |
| Power sector emissions | 262 MtCO2 | 2025 · Ember |
| Demand rank (countries with 2025 data) | 8 of 96 | 2025 · Ember |
Generation Mix, 2025
| Source | Generation | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 195 TWh | 31.1% |
| Nuclear | 185 TWh | 29.4% |
| Gas | 176 TWh | 28.0% |
| Solar | 37.9 TWh | 6.0% |
| Bioenergy | 20.3 TWh | 3.2% |
| Other fossil | 6.32 TWh | 1.0% |
| Hydro | 3.80 TWh | 0.6% |
| Wind | 3.67 TWh | 0.6% |
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Year by Year
Ember annual statistics, 1985 to 2025| Year | Coal | Nuclear | Gas | Solar | Bioenergy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 25.0 TWh | 16.8 TWh | 60.0 GWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1986 | 25.6 TWh | 28.3 TWh | 50.0 GWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1987 | 24.6 TWh | 39.3 TWh | 9.91 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1988 | 30.5 TWh | 40.1 TWh | 11.4 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1989 | 31.6 TWh | 47.4 TWh | 10.2 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1990 | 34.5 TWh | 52.9 TWh | 12.7 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1991 | 37.7 TWh | 56.3 TWh | 13.5 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1992 | 43.2 TWh | 56.5 TWh | 19.9 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1993 | 54.5 TWh | 58.1 TWh | 19.3 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1994 | 66.1 TWh | 58.7 TWh | 18.2 TWh | 0 TWh | 0 TWh |
| 1995 | 73.5 TWh | 67.0 TWh | 29.8 TWh | 0 TWh | 250 GWh |
| 1996 | 83.3 TWh | 73.9 TWh | 35.4 TWh | 0 TWh | 400 GWh |
| 1997 | 95.4 TWh | 77.1 TWh | 42.7 TWh | 0 TWh | 80.0 GWh |
| 1998 | 104 TWh | 89.7 TWh | 28.2 TWh | 0 TWh | 60.0 GWh |
| 1999 | 112 TWh | 103 TWh | 30.3 TWh | 0 TWh | 90.0 GWh |
| 2000 | 115 TWh | 109 TWh | 29.7 TWh | 10.0 GWh | 80.0 GWh |
| 2001 | 127 TWh | 112 TWh | 33.7 TWh | 10.0 GWh | 90.0 GWh |
| 2002 | 137 TWh | 119 TWh | 42.9 TWh | 10.0 GWh | 180 GWh |
| 2003 | 139 TWh | 130 TWh | 45.5 TWh | 10.0 GWh | 190 GWh |
| 2004 | 143 TWh | 131 TWh | 63.2 TWh | 10.0 GWh | 290 GWh |
| 2005 | 150 TWh | 147 TWh | 64.5 TWh | 10.0 GWh | 260 GWh |
| 2006 | 154 TWh | 149 TWh | 74.8 TWh | 30.0 GWh | 240 GWh |
| 2007 | 171 TWh | 143 TWh | 84.4 TWh | 70.0 GWh | 380 GWh |
| 2008 | 191 TWh | 151 TWh | 81.7 TWh | 280 GWh | 650 GWh |
| 2009 | 209 TWh | 148 TWh | 71.4 TWh | 570 GWh | 540 GWh |
| 2010 | 218 TWh | 149 TWh | 104 TWh | 770 GWh | 420 GWh |
| 2011 | 225 TWh | 155 TWh | 115 TWh | 920 GWh | 1.02 TWh |
| 2012 | 223 TWh | 150 TWh | 129 TWh | 1.13 TWh | 2.16 TWh |
| 2013 | 224 TWh | 139 TWh | 144 TWh | 1.67 TWh | 3.12 TWh |
| 2014 | 226 TWh | 156 TWh | 131 TWh | 2.69 TWh | 6.30 TWh |
| 2015 | 233 TWh | 165 TWh | 122 TWh | 4.23 TWh | 7.48 TWh |
| 2016 | 233 TWh | 162 TWh | 131 TWh | 5.52 TWh | 8.08 TWh |
| 2017 | 261 TWh | 148 TWh | 135 TWh | 7.74 TWh | 9.61 TWh |
| 2018 | 258 TWh | 134 TWh | 163 TWh | 10.2 TWh | 11.8 TWh |
| 2019 | 245 TWh | 146 TWh | 155 TWh | 14.2 TWh | 13.4 TWh |
| 2020 | 208 TWh | 160 TWh | 163 TWh | 19.3 TWh | 14.0 TWh |
| 2021 | 213 TWh | 158 TWh | 181 TWh | 24.7 TWh | 17.2 TWh |
| 2022 | 209 TWh | 176 TWh | 175 TWh | 30.7 TWh | 17.9 TWh |
| 2023 | 201 TWh | 180 TWh | 170 TWh | 33.2 TWh | 18.7 TWh |
| 2024 | 191 TWh | 189 TWh | 178 TWh | 32.7 TWh | 20.3 TWh |
| 2025 | 195 TWh | 185 TWh | 176 TWh | 37.9 TWh | 20.3 TWh |
| Year | Generation | Demand | Carbon intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 628 TWh | 628 TWh | 418 gCO2/kWh |
| 2024 | 625 TWh | 625 TWh | 416 gCO2/kWh |
| 2023 | 617 TWh | 617 TWh | 427 gCO2/kWh |
| 2022 | 623 TWh | 623 TWh | 438 gCO2/kWh |
| 2021 | 608 TWh | 608 TWh | 460 gCO2/kWh |
| 2020 | 577 TWh | 577 TWh | 458 gCO2/kWh |
| 2019 | 587 TWh | 587 TWh | 497 gCO2/kWh |
| 2018 | 593 TWh | 593 TWh | 519 gCO2/kWh |
| 2017 | 576 TWh | 576 TWh | 511 gCO2/kWh |
| 2016 | 561 TWh | 561 TWh | 489 gCO2/kWh |
Full year by year history for South Korea, 1985 to 2025
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of 2025.
Month by Month
Ember monthly statistics through August 2026| Month | Demand | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-09 | 50.4 TWh | 50.4 TWh |
| 2024-10 | 45.8 TWh | 45.8 TWh |
| 2024-11 | 45.4 TWh | 45.4 TWh |
| 2024-12 | 51.8 TWh | 51.8 TWh |
| 2025-01 | 52.0 TWh | 52.0 TWh |
| 2025-02 | 48.7 TWh | 48.7 TWh |
| 2025-03 | 48.1 TWh | 48.1 TWh |
| 2025-04 | 44.0 TWh | 44.0 TWh |
| 2025-05 | 45.0 TWh | 45.0 TWh |
| 2025-06 | 47.2 TWh | 47.2 TWh |
| 2025-07 | 56.6 TWh | 56.6 TWh |
| 2025-08 | 56.9 TWh | 56.9 TWh |
| 2025-09 | 50.3 TWh | 50.3 TWh |
| 2025-10 | 44.9 TWh | 44.9 TWh |
| 2025-11 | 45.3 TWh | 45.3 TWh |
| 2025-12 | 51.7 TWh | 51.7 TWh |
| 2026-01 | 54.9 TWh | 54.9 TWh |
| 2026-02 | 45.7 TWh | 45.7 TWh |
| 2026-03 | 47.7 TWh | 47.7 TWh |
| 2026-04 | 44.1 TWh | 44.1 TWh |
| 2026-05 | 45.2 TWh | 45.2 TWh |
| 2026-06 | 47.5 TWh | 47.5 TWh |
| 2026-07 | 56.2 TWh | 56.2 TWh |
| 2026-08 | 57.1 TWh | 57.0 TWh |
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of August 2026.
Seasonal Patterns in South Korea
Ember monthly statistics, complete years only, through August 2026Electricity demand by month
Look for the brightest columns. Averaged over 2019 to 2025, demand is highest in August and lowest in May, and the busiest month uses 22% more electricity per day than the quietest.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 52.0 | 48.7 | 48.1 | 44.0 | 45.0 | 47.2 | 56.6 | 56.9 | 50.3 | 44.9 | 45.3 | 51.7 |
| 2024 | 53.8 | 46.8 | 49.0 | 43.6 | 45.0 | 47.0 | 54.1 | 58.4 | 50.4 | 45.8 | 45.4 | 51.8 |
| 2023 | 53.8 | 47.5 | 47.6 | 43.7 | 45.2 | 46.8 | 53.0 | 54.9 | 47.8 | 44.6 | 47.5 | 52.1 |
| 2022 | 54.5 | 48.2 | 49.2 | 44.6 | 45.9 | 47.3 | 54.7 | 53.6 | 46.0 | 45.4 | 45.9 | 55.3 |
| 2021 | 52.8 | 44.7 | 46.9 | 43.3 | 44.0 | 45.5 | 53.8 | 51.5 | 45.1 | 45.5 | 46.6 | 53.0 |
| 2020 | 49.3 | 46.1 | 45.9 | 42.0 | 41.3 | 43.6 | 46.5 | 50.8 | 44.3 | 42.9 | 44.8 | 51.3 |
| 2019 | 50.9 | 44.2 | 46.9 | 43.6 | 44.0 | 43.5 | 49.3 | 51.1 | 44.0 | 43.7 | 44.9 | 50.0 |
- Lower demand per day
- Higher demand per day
- No data
- Each cell shows the month's total demand in TWh, and colour compares demand per day so short months are not shaded as quiet. Lowest cell 41.3 TWh, highest 58.4 TWh. Colours are relative to South Korea alone.
Low carbon share of generation by month
Look for the brightest columns. Averaged over 2019 to 2025, the low carbon share is highest in May (43%) and lowest in August (34%), a gap of 9.2 points.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42% | 43% | 47% | 49% | 47% | 43% | 37% | 34% | 37% | 40% | 39% | 38% |
| 2024 | 35% | 38% | 42% | 45% | 48% | 43% | 39% | 36% | 40% | 46% | 44% | 40% |
| 2023 | 36% | 36% | 41% | 41% | 42% | 40% | 38% | 37% | 40% | 43% | 41% | 38% |
| 2022 | 36% | 36% | 35% | 39% | 42% | 39% | 35% | 38% | 39% | 41% | 38% | 33% |
| 2021 | 31% | 35% | 36% | 37% | 37% | 32% | 29% | 31% | 33% | 36% | 35% | 37% |
| 2020 | 28% | 32% | 38% | 39% | 43% | 38% | 34% | 31% | 28% | 37% | 36% | 34% |
| 2019 | 28% | 29% | 34% | 37% | 39% | 36% | 28% | 28% | 28% | 29% | 27% | 26% |
- Lower low carbon share
- Higher low carbon share
- No data
- Each cell shows the low carbon share. Lowest cell 26%, highest 49%. Colours are relative to South Korea alone.
Source: Ember (ember-energy.org), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Data as of August 2026. Complete calendar years only.
Countries With a Similar Electricity Mix
Ember annual, 2025South Korea's closest match is Japan, 79.7% the same, and the match goes both ways, so they are grid twins.
- Japan 79.7% the same · grid twin Japan generates 20.3 points less nuclear than South Korea
- Czechia 76.4% the same Czechia generates 22.6 points less gas than South Korea
- United States 70.6% the same The United States generates 14.8 points less coal than South Korea
- Taiwan 68.7% the same Taiwan generates 28.3 points less nuclear than South Korea
- Bulgaria 68.0% the same Bulgaria generates 23.1 points less gas than South Korea
How close: the share of generation that would have to change fuel for one mix to match the other (half the sum of the fuel share differences); 100% minus that is "the same". Grids under 1 TWh are skipped. Grid twins: the 25 closest pairs and every country's nearest match
South Korea Electricity FAQ
What is the main source of electricity in South Korea?
Coal was the largest source of electricity in South Korea in 2025, supplying 31.1% of generation, followed by nuclear (29.4%) and gas (28.0%). Figures are Ember annual statistics.
How much electricity does South Korea use?
South Korea used 628 TWh of electricity in 2025, about 12.09 MWh per person.
How clean is South Korea's electricity?
Generating a kilowatt hour of electricity in South Korea emitted 418 gCO2/kWh in 2025, and low carbon sources supplied 39.9% of generation. That is 9% below the world average of 460 gCO2/kWh.
When does South Korea use the most electricity?
Averaged over 2019 to 2025, South Korea's electricity demand is highest in August and lowest in May. The busiest month uses 22% more electricity per day than the quietest (Ember monthly data).
Related
Cite this page
World Power Monitor. (2026). South Korea Electricity: Generation Mix, Demand and Emissions. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-korea/
World Power Monitor. South Korea Electricity: Generation Mix, Demand and Emissions. Data as of 2026-08. Data from Ember. https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-korea/
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title = {{South Korea Electricity: Generation Mix, Demand and Emissions}},
author = {{World Power Monitor}},
year = {2026},
note = {Data as of 2026-08. Data from Ember.},
url = {https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-korea/}
} Permalink: https://worldpowermonitor.com/countries/south-korea/
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