Touching the Green Future in Jeju

Jeju, Republic of Korea – This was  neither a tech expo nor a test lab. Right here on Jeju Island, visitors and locals  are being introduced to a new way of life, where hydrogen-powered buses and cars glide silently through the streets, emitting no exhaust or engine noise. During a brief yet  inspiring journey, I felt as if I had "touched" a future that may not be so far away.

Journalist Nhat Hoa aboard a hydrogen-powered vehicle

A smoke-free ride and a playful ‘rock paper scissors’

During a visit to a clean fueling station in Jeju, I missed the opportunity to ride the hydrogen bus like some of my international colleagues – all on account of losing a friendly game of “rock paper scissors”. Still, I managed to sit in the driver’s seat of a hydrogen car, feel its modern interior, and imagine gliding through a quiet, noise-free city.

International journalists playing rock paper scissors for a seat on the hydrogen bus around Jeju

A fellow journalist who did board  the bus shared: “The ride was so smooth, almost no engine noise. When it stopped, a gentle mist of water vapor came out of the exhaust – odorless, smokeless”.

Inside the engine compartment, a hydrogen refueling station

How do hydrogen vehicles work?

Unlike gasoline or plug-in electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles use fuel cells. Hydrogen is stored in an on-board tank. During operation, hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the fuel cell to produce:

Electricity to run the engine, a bit of thermal  energy, and the only by-product is water, in the form of steam.

How a hydrogen car works (image generated by AI)

All of this is done quietly and cleanly, with no CO₂ or toxic emissions. This technology holds immense promise for urban transit and specialized vehicles such as buses, fire trucks, and cargo carriers.

Part of Jeju’s green strategy

These smoke-free vehicles aren’t isolated experiments. They are part of Jeju's broader plan to become a carbon-neutral zone by 2035.

Renewable energy now  accounts for nearly 20% of Jeju’s electricity, and at times, output has surpassed 65%. The island’s energy ecosystem includes wind, solar, and green hydrogen – the latter produced via water electrolysis using renewable electricity. Hydrogen refueling stations, public buses, and specialized vehicles are all in the pilot stage.

Hydrogen-powered buses and cars

Jeju isn’t just testing technology – it’s testing a fully integrated green lifestyle.

But every experiment needs a conversation

I left Jeju filled with inspiration, but also full of  questions: Is green hydrogen truly efficient if  production costs remain high? Can the power grid keep up as renewable penetration increases? Are residents and businesses truly ready to shift their behavior and consumption habits?

The answers may not be clear yet. But what matters is  that Jeju has dared to begin.

(Image generated by AI)

A little note from the driver’s seat

I didn’t get to ride the hydrogen bus that day, but the moment I sat behind the wheel of that silent vehicle – even for just a minute – I felt myself “moving” in a different way: through thought, feeling, and belief.

I support green experiments – not because they are perfect, but because pioneers are willing to begin.

And sometimes, that’s all it takes… for us to follow – with all our curiosity and hope for a greener future.