The South Korean government has pledged to expand the renewable sources portion of the country's power portfolio from the current seven to eight percent to 30 to 35 percent by 2040, while drastically reducing dependency on coal power generation.

In a draft of its latest 20-year energy master plan unveiled on Friday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it aims to achieve sustainable growth and enhance quality of life by shifting dependency to clean and safe energy sources.

In January, the government vowed to increase the use of hydrogen as a main source of energy for power generation, vehicles and other daily uses.

To tackle fine dust air pollution and greenhouse gases, the government reaffirmed that it will prohibit the construction of new coal-powered plants and shut down old facilities.

The government will also seek to apply liquefied natural gas in more diverse areas and stop the construction of new nuclear reactors.

After revisions from public hearings, the draft plan will be finalized by the Cabinet.