Contestation in social acceptance of direct air capture (DAC) technologies in Korea by differing framings over governance principles

Recently, DAC technologies have been recognized as a viable innovation in Korea’s mitigation efforts. In 2023, while formulating a specific implementation plan to meet the national mitigation target in Korea’s 2030 nationally determined contribution (NDC), the government considered setting a separate mitigation target for DAC technologies alongside the existing target for carbon capture, storage, and utilization (CCUS) technologies. During government-wide meetings, a clear divide emerged between supporters and opponents. Despite strong demand from supporters, the final national implementation plan did not include a mitigation target for DAC technologies. Focusing on this contestation, this paper explores why setting a separate target for DAC technologies was contested and not accepted at the policy-drafting stage. From the theoretical ground of social acceptance of new and innovative technologies, this paper utilizes four governance principles as social norms with which stakeholders understand and interpret DAC technologies, and analyzes differing framings on DAC technologies. Research results show that dominant framing approaches, hindering the establishment of a DAC technology-specific mitigation target, are i) risks of considering short-term and binding targets in commensurate with long-term targets through DAC technologies, ii) the uncertainty of mitigation potentials by technologically and methodologically under-developed DAC technologies, and iii) the inefficiency of financial investment for DAC technologies. This paper concludes with policy recommendations, emphasizing the need to establish binding short- and mid-term targets in alignment with the 2050 long-term target, government support for technology demonstrations, methodological assistance for leveraging carbon markets, and a redefinition of the relationship between CCUS and DAC technologies.