South Korea to Announce Small Modular Reactor Development Plan by Mid-Year

Lee Chang-yoon, 1st Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Announces Strong Promotion of SMRs at IAEA Event

The Ministry of Science and ICT has publicly declared its strong commitment to the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Korea on the international stage. The ministry plans to prepare and announce concrete implementation measures within the first half of this year.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, Lee Chang-yoon, the 1st Vice Minister of the ministry, attended the opening ceremony of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) International Collaborative Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (hereinafter ‘INPRO’) Dialogue Forum held at the Jeju Convention Center on the 7th. He expressed the vision for next-generation nuclear technology development and the creation of an industrial ecosystem, along with a strong will for rapid commercialization.

Lee Chang-yoon, 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, is introducing South Korea's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) policy at the opening ceremony of the 22nd IAEA INPRO Dialogue Forum held in Jeju Island on the 7th. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

The INPRO Dialogue Forum is an international academic forum aimed at information exchange between countries possessing nuclear technology and those utilizing it. The theme of this forum was ‘Successful Development and Sustainable Deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).’ Key figures related to SMRs from major countries, including the U.S. Department of Energy and Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation, attended the event to share their countries’ plans and discuss future directions on essential policy topics necessary for the commercialization of SMRs, such as securing core SMR technologies, safety evaluation, economic feasibility, and infrastructure development.

Small Modular Reactors have high potential for use not only in power generation but also in various industrial sectors such as hydrogen production, seawater desalination, district heating, marine vessels, and even the space industry. The Ministry of Science and ICT is also promoting a policy shift in next-generation reactor development from large-scale nuclear power plants led by the public sector to SMRs with active private sector participation.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to strengthen joint research between domestic and international research institutes and cooperation between domestic and overseas companies to secure core technologies for the development of innovative small modular reactors equipped with safety, economic efficiency, and flexibility, as well as sodium-cooled fast reactors, molten salt reactors, and high-temperature gas reactors, which are various types of non-light water reactors. Additionally, the ministry will systematically nurture research fields and industrial manpower and work to enhance the private sector’s technological capabilities to create an innovative growth ecosystem through next-generation nuclear power.

Meanwhile, prior to the opening ceremony, Vice Minister Lee met with Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy, to highlight Korea’s close cooperative efforts with the IAEA and Korea’s contributions to the international community. They also discussed plans to strengthen future cooperation, including the advancement of Koreans to high-level positions within the IAEA.