[Photo] S. Korean government to shut down up to 25% of coal-fired power plants

On Nov. 27, the South Korean government announced plans to shut down up to a quarter of coal-fired power plants within the next three months in an effort to reduce fine-particle pollution. Among the nation’s 60 coal-fired power plants, 14 will suspend operations between December 2019 and February 2020, and as many as 27 will be shut down in March 2020, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced on Nov. 28. MOTIE added that remaining plants will operate at 80% capacity, and projected a 44% reduction of fine-particle pollution within the three-month period.