South Korea targets oil dependence on any one region below 50 percent by 2035
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South Korea adopted its first statutory resource-security plan Wednesday, setting a 2035 target to cut crude-oil dependence on any one region below 50 percent.
Storage is part of the shift. The plan calls for 20 million barrels of new capacity by 2030, expands designated critical minerals from 38 to 51, and raises the maximum stockpile target for vulnerable minerals from 180 to 365 days.
A separate decision published 30 minutes later temporarily removes the 4 million barrel minimum and one-year contract requirements for diversified crude imported from the Americas, Europe or Africa.
Refunds can cover up to 100 percent of the freight gap with Middle Eastern crude, capped by import levies paid from September through December.

