Attorney Sungwoo (Goni) Kim of SOLARIS spoke at the 2026 International Green Energy Expo at EXCO in Daegu on "Changes to the Solar Power Business Framework and the Legal Risks They Bring." The talk examined in depth how reforms to Korea's renewable energy support schemes are reshaping the domestic solar industry and the legal issues that arise at each stage of a project.
Attorney Kim emphasized that the solar market is moving away from the feed-in tariff and renewable portfolio standard (RPS) schemes toward long-term power purchase agreements awarded through competitive bidding. Because a single bid will now determine a project's profitability for 15 to 20 years, he explained, power producers need new financing structures and risk management strategies.
The key legal issues covered at each stage of development, construction and operation were as follows.
Development: site acquisition, permitting (including conversion of farmland and forest land), and the legality of special purpose company (SPC) and project finance structures
Construction: clearly structuring EPC and subcontracts, and complying with occupational safety rules such as the Serious Accidents Punishment Act
Operation: reviewing O&M contracts and the detailed terms of power sales contracts (late-payment interest, early termination and force majeure), and output curtailment disputes
He also pointed to the need for portfolio strategies tailored to the size of each business, given the dual structure in which a government-led auction market runs alongside a private direct PPA market driven by RE100. "Solar is evolving beyond simply installing equipment into an integrated infrastructure business spanning finance, contracts and data," Attorney Kim said, urging thorough legal review from the initial contract design stage.
SOLARIS will continue to provide expert, proactive legal services, from contract review to dispute resolution, so that companies and power producers can run their businesses with stability amid fast-changing energy and environmental regulation.