To promote the widespread adoption of hydrogen energy systems in society, it is imperative to address technological uncertainties and establish a social and economic foundation that fosters acceptance of hydrogen technology among individuals. Given the high penetration rate of fuel-cell electric vehicles in Korea, it is crucial to tackle community acceptance issues and expand the infrastructure of hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) to support hydrogen technology. This study aims to assess the community acceptance of HRS infrastructure among Korean citizens by conducting a discrete choice experiment and utilizing the Bayesian logit model. We conducted a quantitative analysis to examine the Marginal willingness to accept (MWTA) and the specific attributes influencing HRS construction projects and citizen acceptance rates. Based on the estimation results, we identified the factors that contribute to enhancing community acceptance and proposed suitable strategies for businesses and governments to advance HRS construction. The results indicate that the subsidy amount is the primary factor influencing individuals' decisions regarding HRS construction. Our findings can be applied to countries and regions facing similar challenges in expanding their HRS infrastructure. Moreover, the estimated MWTA in this study can be utilized to conduct cost-benefit analyses of HRS construction and determine appropriate subsidy levels.

Key Words; Hydrogen refueling station, Community acceptance, Hydrogen economy, Discrete choice experiment, Marginal willingness to accept