A South Korean representative has called for more government support to progress the country’s Hydrogen Cities initiative after data revealed two-thirds of the cities included are lagging behind targets by up to four years.
The national programme led by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) began with a three-city pilot in 2020 before expanding to include 15 cities earlier this year.
It aims to turn the selected cities into integrated hydrogen ecosystems, linking production, storage, and distribution with transport and end-uses.
According to Korean publication Seoul Economic Daily, representative Kim Mi-ae of the People Power Party has called for “recovery schedules and support measures,” alongside a review process informing projects going forward.
She also called for accountability for the delays to be distributed fairly, saying “local governments are shouldering contributions no smaller than the state’s.”
It comes after MOLIT released data concerning the WON 533bn ($389.6m) initiative’s status, revealing 10 of the 15 cities remain between one and four years behind schedule.
Reasons cited included altered hydrogen supply plans, administrative interruptions, pipeline route changes, and power supply deferrals.
South Korea is seeing a broader ramp-up in green hydrogen investment, research and development, and production, with an emerging focus on mobility and transport infrastructure.
However, the Hydrogen Council’s recent Global Compass Report 2026 identified that ambitions within the Korean Clean Hydrogen Portfolio Standard programme have dropped from a target of 3TWh of hydrogen energy in 2025 to 500GWh in 2026.
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