ABSTRACT
This chapter is devoted to the analysis of hydrogen’s role in achieving economic, environmental, and strategic goals in South Korea, as well as related challenges and opportunities. The country’s aims and strategies regarding hydrogen have been well covered in several critical documents over recent years. However, achieving a hydrogen-based energy system, often called a ‘hydrogen economy,’ is in the early stage of development and faces many technological, infrastructural, and economic challenges. As South Korea has limited possibilities to produce clean and low-carbon hydrogen domestically, it is set to become a large-scale importer of hydrogen. In this context, the chapter argues that South Korea should continuously seek international cooperation to secure a stable supply of carbon-free hydrogen and solve the technical challenges throughout the hydrogen value chain. Through international collaboration, South Korea will need to seek not only a hydrogen supply but also end-user markets for hydrogen vehicles and fuel cell products. Strengthening the partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and South Korea in the hydrogen sector will provide vast opportunities for both countries in this fledgling but fast-developing new market.
