Seoul’s nuclear-related policies are expected to be influenced by the vote in the European Parliament to include nuclear and natural gas power on the European Union’s(EU) list of environmentally sustainable activities.

Emphasizing a role for private investment in nuclear and gas activities as part of the green transition to fulfill the 2050 zero carbon targets, the European Commission suggested classifying certain natural gas and nuclear energy activities, under certain conditions, as transitional activities.

In a vote on an objection to the inclusion proposal on Wednesday, 328 EU lawmakers rejected the objection in favor of keeping the proposal, while 278 voted in favor of it, well short of the absolute majority of 353 required. 

Having pledged to increase the ratio of nuclear energy in the nation's energy mix to over 30 percent by 2030, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration is expected to finalize a domestic eco-friendly classification system next month based on the EU decision. 

Seoul, however, faces challenges in securing the EU's eco-friendly recognition.

Some of the conditions the EU imposed for eco-friendly nuclear power generation include requiring each nuclear plant to be equipped with a low- to mid-level waste disposal facility and to develop a plan for a high-level waste disposal system by 2050. 

Currently, South Korea temporarily stores nuclear waste at nuclear plant sites, which are forecast to be saturated in nine years. The process to secure such facilities is estimated to take at least 37 years.