South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the International Energy Agency signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on Sept. 17, 2026, establishing the Resilient & Integrated Strategy for Energy Security in Asia, or RISE ASIA. The initiative will assess oil, liquefied natural gas and clean-energy supply chains, monitor power-grid reliability and develop coordinated crisis-response measures for energy-vulnerable Asian nations. It also seeks to create electrification roadmaps for developing countries and strengthen grid resilience as electricity demand rises. The partners aim to finalize their cooperation structure by 2027, develop protocols and identify priority projects by 2028, and begin full implementation from 2028 onward. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol warned that disruptions involving Qatar, Europe’s increased LNG demand and competition with Asian buyers could make the coming winter tighter and push prices higher.