South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has issued a stark warning that the ongoing US-Israeli military conflict with Iran demonstrates the critical need to abandon "extremely risky" fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources. Speaking at a town hall meeting on Jeju Island, the president described the global energy situation as "worse than you think" and potentially deteriorating further.
Sleep-Depriving Energy Chaos
"The whole world is in chaos because of the energy issue and it's so serious I can't fall asleep either," President Lee revealed during his Monday address, as reported by Yonhap news agency. He emphasized South Korea's particular vulnerability, noting: "We do not even produce fossil fuels ourselves and now even importing them is becoming like this."
Asia's Energy Vulnerability Exposed
The oil crisis triggered by the Middle Eastern conflict has disproportionately impacted Asian economies. South Korea imports approximately 55 percent of its energy from the Middle East, valued at $144 billion in 2024. Japan relies on the region for roughly 90 percent of its oil supplies, while India—the world's third-largest oil importer—sources the bulk of its crude from Gulf nations.
The disruption stems primarily from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a quarter of global oil and a fifth of liquefied natural gas shipments transit daily. Compounding the shortage, strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan facility—the world's largest LNG export hub—have removed nearly 30 billion cubic metres of LNG from global supply chains since the conflict began, with over 80 percent of this reduction affecting the Indo-Pacific region.
Coal Resurgence Amid Crisis
As oil and gas supplies dwindle, Asian nations are reluctantly falling back on coal power despite previous climate commitments. South Korea has delayed scheduled shutdowns of coal-fired power plants and lifted caps on electricity generated from coal. Japan has made similar reversals, allowing less-efficient coal plants back into its power market from April—a move expected to offset approximately 500,000 metric tonnes of LNG consumption.
India, which already depends on coal for nearly 75 percent of its power generation, has instructed its plants to operate at maximum capacity while avoiding planned outages. Bangladesh has similarly increased both coal-fired power generation and coal imports.
Climate Progress Reversal
This represents a significant setback for nations that had been actively reducing coal dependence. Japan had been one of only five major polluting countries to cut total greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, achieving a 2.8 percent reduction according to European Commission data. The Japanese trade ministry has described the coal expansion as temporary, though the country's existing emissions reduction targets were already considered insufficient to achieve net zero by 2050.
Renewable Acceleration Despite Setbacks
Despite the temporary coal resurgence, major Asian economies are simultaneously accelerating their clean energy initiatives. When South Korea's energy minister proposed requiring all new cars on Jeju Island to be electric by 2035, President Lee pushed back aggressively: "What do you mean 10 years from now? That's too slow. This is an emergency situation."
India has expedited clearances for wind power plants and battery energy storage systems, while Japan is accelerating a longer-term shift toward nuclear power generation—seeking energy sources that bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely and reduce Middle Eastern dependence.
The final cargoes that passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the conflict escalated are expected to arrive in coming days, but experts warn that damage to critical energy infrastructure could require years to repair, underscoring President Lee's urgent call for energy independence through renewable transition.
