South Korea's LNG imports in the second half of the year will fall from a record high

South Korea's imports of this burning clean fuel will fall
from record levels in the first half of the year as demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) by South Korean utilities due to the commissioning of a large number of nuclear power plants will gradually fade, according to foreign media reports.

South Korea's LNG imports reached a record 22.
7 million mt in the first six months of the year, up nearly 16%
year-on-year, driven by strong demand from power companies, according to statistics released by South Korea Customs in mid-July.

But industry analysts said South Korea, the world's third-largest LNG importer, could see a decline
in imports in the second half of the year as only six nuclear plants are expected to shut down for maintenance on average for the rest of the year.

Yang Ji-hae, an analyst at Samsung Securities in South Korea, said: "As nuclear power plant runs will increase, South Korea's LNG demand in the second half of the year will not be as strong as
in the first half.
”