South Korea introduced climate change impact assessments under its Carbon Neutrality Framework Act in 2021, but critics say the system has a critical flaw: no follow-up management or enforcement mechanism. Projects that complete the assessment and consultation process face no penalties if they fail to implement promised greenhouse gas reduction plans during construction or operation. The Ministry of Government Legislation has confirmed that existing environmental impact assessment enforcement rules cannot be applied to climate assessments, leaving a regulatory blind spot. As large-scale projects move from planning to active construction in the system's fifth year, the gap is becoming visible. A combined-cycle power plant could promise a 20% emissions reduction in its assessment and then simply not deliver it with no legal consequences. Experts say legislative action is needed to create a proper monitoring and enforcement framework. In the meantime, some suggest using National Assembly budget reviews to track whether mitigation plans are actually being carried out.
