South Korea intends to reduce its liquefied natural gas (LNG) consumption this winter by relying more on coal and nuclear power, a seasonal adjustment as heating demand rises and Qatari supply is disrupted.

Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sungwhan outlined the policy in an interview on October 15. "In the short term, we are in a situation where we must somehow reduce LNG demand," Kim said, as cited by local media TokenPost.

Winter gas demand can influence electricity prices and put pressure on KEPCO, which purchases fuel at market rates while selling power at regulated tariffs.

Missile damage at QatarEnergy's Ras Laffan facilities hit South Korea's LNG supply. Two damaged production trains accounted for 12.8 million tonnes of annual capacity, roughly 17% of Qatar's export capacity. Repairs may take up to five years, and some long-term contracts would be affected by force majeure.

Qatari cargoes represented 14% of South Korea's LNG imports. The Middle East's share of the country's LNG imports had dropped below 20% by the end of 2025. Korea Gas Corp. had prepared to sustain supply through a prolonged disruption to Qatari deliveries.

The JKM benchmark for October delivery was assessed at $25.908 per million British thermal units on September 2, its highest level since reaching $28.315 on December 30, 2022.

The winter policy coincides with South Korea's longer-term plans to cut fossil-fuel dependence and build a renewable-energy-centered power system. The government's K-GX plan, released October 7, targets 100 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030 and 1,000 trillion won in funding over 2026-2035. The funding target includes 200 trillion won in fiscal resources and more than 790 trillion won in climate finance.