South Korean Farmers Sue Power Company Over Climate Change Damage

As of November 14th, 2025, South Korean rice farmers are taking legal action against the state utility KEPCO, claiming its heavy use of coal and fossil fuels has exacerbated climate change and severely damaged their crops. Hwang Seong-yeol, a farmer of three decades, says this has been one of his toughest seasons, with a remarkably rainy autumn followed by a bitterly cold spring that stunted plant growth. Summer floods and a fungal disease outbreak during the wet autumn have further decimated his yields, which he expects to be 20-25% below normal.

Farmers across the country are struggling to adapt to the increasingly erratic weather patterns. Apple grower Ma Yong-un is using more pesticides to combat pests and diseases thriving in the prolonged heat and humidity, while tangerine, strawberry, and other farmers are devising ways to survive. The lawsuit, the first of its kind in South Korea, seeks to hold KEPCO accountable for its outsized role in driving climate change and the resulting agricultural losses.

Experts say KEPCO's heavy reliance on coal, which accounted for over 71% of its power generation in 2024, has made a significant contribution to South Korea's greenhouse gas emissions. The utility's mounting debt and government policies keeping electricity rates low have limited its ability to invest in renewable energy and modernize the power grid. As the country lags behind its peers in the transition to clean energy, the farmers' case highlights the need for a more effective approach to tackling climate change and supporting vulnerable industries.