[2026 Audit] Domestic Solar Cell Market Share at 3.9%... Park Jung of DP: "Corporate Subsidies and R&D Support Needed"

As the domestic solar power industry faces a weakening production base due to competition from Chinese products, voices are calling for corporate subsidies and research and development (R&D) support for new technologies in order to maintain the domestic renewable energy ecosystem.

SK Eterynix 'Yeongwol Gwangjeon No.1' Solar Power Plant panorama. Unrelated to the article content. SK Eterynix

According to Assemblyman Park Jung of the National Assembly's Committee on Climate, Energy, Environment, and Labor on October 6, 2026, the market share of domestically produced solar cells in Korea stood at only 3.9% in 2025, with domestic modules accounting for just 30.7%.

China occupies nearly 90% of global production capacity across the entire solar power value chain.

In Korea, the polysilicon and ingot/wafer industries have effectively collapsed, with further production reduction and business withdrawals ongoing in the solar cell and module sectors.

Assemblyman Park pointed out that there are limits to the domestic production tax credits being promoted by the government, noting that loss-making companies have no taxes to pay and therefore find it difficult to benefit from tax deductions.

He stated, "In the short term, we should consider providing subsidies to ensure the survival of domestic solar companies," and added, "In the long term, support should be extended to new technology R&D and the establishment of testbeds for demonstration and commercialization."

He continued, "Companies have appealed that domestic demand has disappeared, with domestic solar cell production for the local market effectively at zero over the past two years," stressing that "as renewable energy expansion progresses, profits will flow to China while the domestic industry collapses, a situation that must be prevented."

He also suggested, "Along with new technology testbeds, we should consider utilizing large-scale integrated complexes such as border-area energy expressways as subsequent sources of demand."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.