The government has drawn up a plan to subsidize heating costs for vulnerable households that switched from coal briquette heating to gas boilers, sources said on the 22nd.
The Ministry of Planning and Budget will introduce a "fuel conversion voucher" and, starting in the second half of this year, will subsidize heating costs for households that switched their coal briquette heating systems to gas boilers. The subsidy is expected to be on par with the current coal briquette coupon. As of 2026, the coal briquette coupon provided to basic livelihood recipients and lower-income households is 576,000 won per household.
The Ministry of Planning and Budget plans to provide fuel conversion vouchers to 10,000 households by year's end. That is 25% of all coal briquette–heated households. The government also decided to continue support for the remaining 30,000 households. If so, coal briquette heating will disappear into history 80 years after the first domestic coal briquette company was established in 1947.
Meanwhile, the government reduced coal briquette production subsidies. As a result, at the start of this year the coal briquette production subsidies were cut from 200 won per briquette to 100 won. The government plans to phase coal briquettes out of the market due to high greenhouse gas emissions and low economic efficiency.