Ziggy Ojiegbe

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that the ongoing Iran war is exposing the dangers of global reliance on fossil fuels, urging an urgent shift toward renewable energy.

Ad >>>

Speaking at a town hall on Jeju Island, Lee said the global energy crisis triggered by the conflict was “worse than you think” and could deteriorate further. “The whole world is in chaos because of the energy issue,” he said, adding that South Korea—heavily dependent on imported fuel—faces growing vulnerability.

The crisis has been driven by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which roughly a quarter of the world’s oil and a significant share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows. Disruptions have hit Asia particularly hard, as major economies including Japan, South Korea, and India rely heavily on Middle Eastern energy supplies.

South Korea alone imports about 55% of its energy—valued at $144 billion in 2024—from the region. Japan depends on the Middle East for around 90% of its oil, while India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, sources most of its crude from Gulf producers.

The situation has been compounded by strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan facility, the world’s largest LNG export hub, further tightening global supply. Analysts estimate nearly 30 billion cubic metres of LNG have already been removed from the market since the conflict began, with the Indo-Pacific region bearing the brunt of the shortfall.

As fuel supplies shrink and prices surge, Asian countries are being forced into short-term measures that run counter to their climate goals. South Korea has delayed the shutdown of coal-fired power plants and lifted caps on coal-generated electricity. Japan has taken similar steps, allowing older, less efficient coal plants back into operation to offset LNG shortages. India, which already relies on coal for roughly three-quarters of its electricity, has instructed plants to run at full capacity, while Bangladesh has also increased coal use and imports.

These moves mark a significant reversal for countries that had been working to reduce emissions. Japan, for instance, was among a small group of major economies that managed to cut greenhouse gas emissions in 2024. Officials insist the return to coal is temporary, driven by emergency conditions.

Despite this setback, Lee emphasized that the long-term solution lies in accelerating clean energy. He has pushed for faster adoption of electric vehicles and renewable power, criticizing timelines he considers too slow. “This is an emergency situation,” he said, calling for more aggressive targets.

Elsewhere in Asia, governments are also speeding up energy transitions. India is fast-tracking approvals for wind power and battery storage projects, while Japan is expanding its reliance on nuclear energy as a more stable alternative that bypasses vulnerable shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz.

The crisis has underscored a broader lesson for energy-importing nations: dependence on fossil fuels, particularly from geopolitically unstable regions, carries significant economic and strategic risks—pressures that leaders like Lee now argue can only be reduced through a faster shift to renewable and domestic energy sources.