Work

National-scale PM2.5 health consequences of a proposed LNG power project in South Korea: looking beyond localized assessment boundaries

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in South Korea rely heavily on localized dispersion models within restricted geographical boundaries (∼10 km), failing to capture regional secondary PM2.5 formation and broad population exposure. To address these limitations, this study pursues two distinct objectives: (1) evaluating systemic deficiencies in the current EIA framework, and (2) quantifying the nationwide health impacts and monetized mortality damages of a proposed 3 GW liquefied natural gas power cluster at the Yongin Semiconductor Industrial Complex. We employed Global InMAP—selected specifically for its ability to simulate long-range atmospheric transport and secondary PM2.5 chemistry across national scales where local models fail—under 35%, 55%, and 75% capacity factor (CF) scenarios. Health outcomes were modeled nationwide and monetized using domestic and international Values of a Statistical Life. Regarding health impact quantification, the proposed cluster is projected to cause 21.5–31.1 additional annual premature deaths nationwide, with secondary PM2.5 driving 63%–71% of this burden. Under the central 55% CF scenario, annual monetized mortality damages range from 34.4 billion KRW (∼USD 23 million; domestic benchmark) to 195.9–295.5 billion KRW (∼USD 143–201 million; international benchmarks). Regarding EIA framework evaluation, spatial disaggregation revealed critical regulatory blind spots: only 14%–16% of attributable premature deaths occur within the typical 10 km EIA assessment radius, while 67%–69% fall outside Yongin City and 46%–47% outside host Gyeonggi Province. Geographically bounded EIAs omit the vast majority of health externalities; regulatory frameworks must integrate regional secondary PM2.5 modeling and transparently monetize health damages in energy planning decisions.

Source: Environmental Research Letters

DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aea62c

Authors: Hyewon Choi, Yooinn Hong, Jiao Wang

Language: English

Topic: Air Quality and Health Impacts

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,045

Funder: Seoul National University