South Korea's electricity demand is expected to increase at a slower pace than in the past, local experts said Thursday.

The electricity usage for the 2017-2031 period is forecast to be smaller than the previous forecast that covers 2015 through 2029, the experts said.

The forecast was made by the group of civilian experts, including energy university professors, designated by the government. The government maps out a long-term energy plan for the time span of 15 years biennially so as to get a clearer picture of the country's energy needs moving forward and plan in advance to avoid shortfalls.

"The electricity demand for 2030 will likely reach 101.9 gigawatts, down from the forecast of 113.2 GW made two years earlier," said Yoo Seong-hoon, an energy professor from Seoul National University.

Yoo cited the decrease of the electricity demand to the decline of the country's gross domestic product. (Yonhap)