Kim Dong-cheol, KEPCO President, "Korean-Style Nuclear Reactors for the Nuclear Power Pioneer"... Full-Scale UK Nuclear Reactor Sales Effort

Kim Dong-chul, President of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), is actively promoting the sale of the second nuclear power plant during President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the United Kingdom.

According to KEPCO, President Kim is visiting the UK from the 18th to the 24th to inspect potential sites for new nuclear power plants. During the state visit, he is participating as part of the economic delegation, meeting with senior government, parliamentary, and industry officials to discuss plans for advancing the project, putting full effort into exporting nuclear power plants to the UK.

First, on the 20th, at the invitation of Virginia Crosbie, a Conservative Party MP from the Wales region, President Kim visited the Wilfa new nuclear power plant site to assess site conditions and local residents' acceptance of the nuclear power plant. According to KEPCO, the Wilfa site is considered the optimal location for constructing a large-scale nuclear power plant in the UK. Notably, it is an area with a history of operating nuclear power plants, featuring excellent infrastructure and strong local community support for nuclear energy.

Next, on the 21st, President Kim hosted a Korea-UK nuclear industry partnership event, actively promoting KEPCO's capabilities in nuclear power projects and the strengths of the Korean-type nuclear power plant. At this event, KEPCO introduced the successful construction and operation of the Korean-type nuclear power plant (APR1400) domestically and internationally, emphasizing that the UAE Barakah nuclear power project, for which KEPCO is the main contractor, is being completed on schedule and within budget.

Additionally, President Kim attended a business forum as part of the Korean economic delegation, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Wales Nuclear Forum and McTech Energy Group to strengthen cooperation. KEPCO plans to leverage this MOU to promote mutually beneficial development with the Wales community if a nuclear power plant is constructed at the Wilfa site, and to maximize the use of the UK's nuclear supply chain.

Following this, President Kim held separate meetings with Claire Coutinho, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, expressing KEPCO's commitment to participating in the UK's new nuclear power projects and requesting active cooperation and support from the UK government. According to KEPCO, Secretary Coutinho stated, "We are well aware of KEPCO's excellent capabilities and look forward to KEPCO's participation in the UK nuclear power projects," while Secretary Badenoch responded, "We warmly welcome KEPCO's entry into the UK nuclear market and will provide all necessary support."

President Kim said, "This year marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the state visit has further matured the conditions for cooperation in the energy sector, including nuclear power." He added, "In particular, if KEPCO enters the UK, which is strongly promoting nuclear power expansion policies, it will be a great achievement to export Korean-type nuclear power plants to the pioneer country of nuclear power that operated the first commercial nuclear power plant in the 1950s."