QAZAQ GREEN. South Korea is rolling out renewable energy models that distribute profits from solar and wind power plants directly to local residents, as the country pushes toward a target of 100 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, Korea.net reported.

One of the most notable examples is Sinan-gun County in South Jeolla Province, where a "sunlight pension" system provides residents with regular payments from solar electricity sales. The program reversed a decade-long population decline: after years of shrinking since 2014, the county saw resident numbers grow by 179 in 2023 and 139 in 2024. In 2025, Sinan-gun was awarded the gold prize for green energy at the Green World Awards.

A similar model operates in the village of Guyang-ri in Gyeonggi Province, where a community-owned 1 MW solar plant has been running since 2024, with profits shared among residents through free bus fare and meals. The government plans to establish more than 2,500 such "sunlight income villages" nationwide by 2030.

The "wind pension" model is also gaining traction. The Taebaek Gadeoksan Wind Power Complex, which came online in February 2022, generates 160,000 MW of electricity annually — enough to power 43,000 households, exceeding the city of Taebaek's own population of under 40,000.

Offshore wind power is emerging as another key pillar of the country's energy transition. The Hanlim Offshore Wind Power Project on Jeju Island, completed in December 2025, is the country's largest offshore wind farm, producing 234 GW of electricity per year to meet the needs of 65,000 households. Around 1,000 residents of nearby communities are sharing in the project's profits, contributing to the local economy.