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South Korea to Launch Hearings on 12th Power Supply and Demand Plan, New Nuclear Projects Under Review

South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment stated on August 4 that the government will advance procedures for the 12th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand, with the issue of new nuclear power plants to be included in public discussion and subsequent review. Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment of South Korea (Photo source: Yonhap) South Korea's Climate Change Minister Kim Sung-hwan stated that the format and number of sessions for the public hearings on the 12th Basic Plan for Power Supply and Demand will be finalized this week, with plans to accelerate related procedures starting next week. Under the current schedule, the government intends to form a planning proposal in September or October and submit it for review through established procedures after completing public consultation. Regarding the issue of new nuclear power plants, Kim Sung-hwan stated...

2026-08-05

South Korea Designates SMR and MMR as National Strategic Technologies; South Gyeongsang Province Says It Will Promote Transition of Nuclear Power Companies

South Gyeongsang Province said on August 4 that it welcomes the South Korean government's designation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Micro Modular Reactors (MMR) as national strategic technologies in the 2026 tax reform plan. Under the relevant arrangement, the South Korean government will revise the Special Tax Treatment Control Act and its enforcement decree to include industries related to small modular reactors of 300 MW or less and micro modular reactors of 20 to 30 MW class within the scope of national strategic technologies. Going forward, companies conducting R&D on SMR and MMR technologies or investing in related facilities will be eligible for higher tax credits for R&D and facility investment. South Gyeongsang Province believes that this policy will provide an opportunity for local nuclear power companies to transition into the SMR...

2026-08-05

South Korea Accelerates Safety Reviews of Long-Term Operating Nuclear Reactors and Advances Licensing of First Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea stated at its second-half work report meeting on August 4 that it will accelerate safety reviews of long-term operating nuclear reactors while simultaneously advancing regulatory efforts such as licensing systems for spent fuel dry storage facilities and small modular reactors. Under the plan, the NSSC will conduct safety inspections on nine reactors applying for continued operation, with review standards referencing newly built nuclear power plants and confirming safety margins in consideration of the characteristics of long-term unit operation. Among these, whether Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 will be approved for continued operation in the second half of this year, and whether Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 will be approved for continued operation in the first half of next year, are the near-term review priorities...

2026-08-05

T-Robotics to Participate in South Korea's Radioactive Waste Management Robot Demonstration Project

T-Robotics, a South Korean industrial humanoid robot and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) company, announced on August 4 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding to advance the 2026 large-scale integrated robot demonstration project. The MOU was jointly signed by T-Robotics, the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD), Klobot, and the Gyeongbuk ICT Convergence Industry Promotion Association. The parties plan to jointly pursue a government demonstration project targeting high-risk radioactive waste safety management scenarios, exploring the collaborative application of multiple types of robots in radioactive waste disposal facilities. Under the agreement, the participating organizations will establish...

2026-08-04

South Korea's Deepnoid Signs M4CXR Supply Contract with Pusan National University Hospital

On August 3, Deepnoid announced the signing of a supply contract for M4CXR with Pusan National University Hospital. M4CXR is a generative AI-based preliminary report generation solution for chest X-rays that generates preliminary reports during chest X-ray examinations to assist medical staff in image interpretation. This is the first supply agreement signed after M4CXR received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of South Korea for market release as a digital medical device. According to the introduction, the system is expected to improve the efficiency of chest X-ray reading and provide clinical support for the early detection of lung diseases and suspected cancerous lesions. This collaboration is also part of the AI clinical system support project for regional responsible medical institutions under the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea...

2026-08-03

South Korea's Trade Minister Meets Governors of 11 U.S. States to Expand Nuclear Power and Shipbuilding Cooperation

South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated on August 2 that the Trade Negotiation Minister attended the 2026 National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting in Oklahoma City from July 30 to August 1, during which he held a series of meetings with governors from 11 states including Tennessee, Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, Delaware, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Utah, Maryland, South Dakota, and Vermont, calling for expanded cooperation in high-tech and strategic industries such as nuclear power, shipbuilding, and batteries, and requesting support from state governments for Korean companies' investments and local operations in the U.S. Reports indicate that the U.S. Department of Energy is advancing the Nuclear Life-cycle Innovation Campus (NLIC) project, and on the 28th of last month...

2026-08-03

Follow-up consultations on ROK-US nuclear-powered submarine and nuclear cooperation agreement progress slowly

According to a South Korean diplomatic source on July 31, South Korea and the United States have yet to finalize the schedule for the second working-level consultation, and the follow-up talks originally planned for July have not yet taken place. The consultations are aimed at implementing the security-related agreements outlined in the joint statement issued at last year's summit between the two countries, including South Korea's introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and the revision of nuclear cooperation arrangements regarding uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The two sides previously held their first working-level consultation in Seoul on the 2nd and 3rd of last month. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker led a cross-agency delegation to South Korea at the time to discuss the implementation of the security agreement with the South Korean side. Observers...

2026-08-02

Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in South Korea Validates Precision of New-Generation Surface-Guided Radiation Therapy System

The research team from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in South Korea announced on July 31 that they have completed validation of the geometric accuracy and respiratory tracking performance of a new-generation surface-guided radiation therapy system. The research findings have been published in the latest issue of the international academic journal *Radiation Physics and Chemistry*. In breast cancer radiotherapy, the deep inspiration breath-hold technique is commonly used in clinical practice to reduce radiation exposure to the heart and lungs. Traditional procedures typically require tattoo marks or drawn guide lines on the patient's skin surface, along with wearing sensors to monitor respiratory motion, which somewhat compromises treatment convenience and patient comfort. The new-generation surface-guided radiation therapy system validated in this study utilizes 3D stereoscopic cameras and thermal imaging technology...

2026-08-02

Changwon National University and Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute Join Forces to Promote Korea-Vietnam Nuclear Power Industry Synergy

Changwon National University announced that a delegation from the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute recently visited the university for in-depth discussions on the development of Vietnam's nuclear power industry and cooperation plans in the field of small modular reactors (SMRs). The delegation was led by Dr. Phan Viet Cuong, Deputy Director of VINATOM, among others. The visit came at a time when the Vietnamese government has been comprehensively promoting the introduction of SMRs as a core national energy strategy since 2024. Through the consultations, both sides reached a consensus on close cooperation to strengthen Vietnam's nuclear power technology competitiveness and foster the next-generation SMR industry. In particular, centered on Changwon National University's "SMR² Platform National Research Institute," customized educational programs will be operated for Vietnamese researchers and students...

2026-08-01

KHNP Unveils Research Findings on High-Temperature Steam Electrolysis Demonstration Planning Integrated with Nuclear Power Plants

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently participated in the 3rd K-SOC Symposium, hosted by the Korean Ceramic Society and held at OSCO in Cheongju on July 23. During the event, KHNP held a special session on high-temperature steam electrolysis, engaging in discussions with experts from industry, academia, and research institutions on technology development directions and demonstration deployment strategies. The K-SOC Symposium is a major academic event in the field of solid-state ion engineering in South Korea, held every three years, covering topics such as materials, cells, stacks, systems, and processes for solid oxide batteries. At this special session, KHNP presented the preliminary findings of its self-conducted study on the demonstration planning of high-temperature steam electrolysis integrated with nuclear power plants...

2026-08-02

South Korea Plans to Establish Radioisotope Commercialization Company, Targeting Trial Production in 2028

According to sources inside and outside the South Korean government on July 31, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and relevant departments including the Ministry of Economy and Finance plan to discuss the establishment of a special purpose company (SPC) for radioisotope commercialization. The company is proposed to be set up as a subsidiary of KHNP, with domestic private enterprises, including pharmaceutical companies, expected to participate in investment. Under the current plan, the South Korean government will determine the specific investment structure and business plan through inter-departmental consultations this year, and strive to complete the company's establishment by 2027. Subsequently, the relevant parties will push forward facility construction to produce radioisotopes using nuclear power plants, with the goal of commencing trial production in 2028. Radioisot...

2026-08-01

Korea and UAE Eye Joint Bid for Vietnam's Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Project

A South Korean team comprising the Korean government, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is seeking cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to jointly compete for Vietnam's nuclear power project. The proposed plan aims to combine South Korea's experience in large-scale nuclear power plant construction with the UAE's financial strength to enhance both parties' competitiveness in the international nuclear power market. According to sources from South Korea's nuclear power industry, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) held a high-level meeting with Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) in Hanoi earlier this month, proposing a joint South Korea-UAE participation in the construction of Vietnam's Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Project. The Ninh Thuan nuclear power project is located in Ninh Thuan Province in central Vietnam, with plans to build four nuclear power units. In the early arrangements of the project, Russia planned to bid for the Ninh Thuan 1 Nuclear Power Project, while Japan planned to bid for the Ninh Thuan 2 Nuclear Power Project. After Japan withdrew and relinquished its preferential bidding rights, South Korea gained the opportunity to enter the competition for the project.

2026-08-01

South Korean University Team Files Patent for Fusion Reactor Optimization Design Method

Professor Hong Bong-geun of the Department of Quantum System Engineering at the College of Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, has recently filed a patent for a fusion reactor optimization design method. This method can determine device dimensions and key component structures while enabling customized performance design for fusion reactors based on different applications such as power generation, thermal energy utilization, and transmutation neutron sources. According to reports, this design technology targets the early-stage R&D phase of fusion devices and can be used to rapidly assess the technical and economic feasibility of proposals, thereby reducing trial-and-error, shortening development cycles, and lowering development costs, providing design support for fusion energy commercialization...

2026-07-31

South Korea Confirms Operating Nuclear Power Units Unaffected by Strong Earthquake in Kyushu, Japan

Following the strong earthquake in the Kyushu region of Japan, related aftershock signals have been detected in southern South Korea. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea stated that inspections confirmed all operating nuclear power units within the country remain unaffected. The NSSC noted that after the earthquake, inspections were conducted on all 27 operating nuclear power units, including the Kori Nuclear Power Plant in Busan and the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant in Gyeongju, with no significant abnormalities or safety issues found. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) also stated that no reports of damage to nuclear facilities have been received so far. The NSSC will continue to monitor the operational status of nuclear power plants to respond to potential subsequent aftershocks....

2026-07-31

South Korean Presidential Office: Expanding Renewable Energy Does Not Mean Abandoning Nuclear Power; New Nuclear and SMR Projects Already Decided

On July 3, Kim Woo-chang, Secretary for National AI Policy at the South Korean Presidential Office, responded on a program to external concerns over the power supply capacity of the semiconductor cluster in the Honam region, stating that the southwestern region of South Korea already possesses sufficient renewable energy conditions, with further room for expansion in the future. Kim Woo-chang said that South Korea's power generation resources are generally concentrated in the southwestern region, the Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam area, and the vicinity of nuclear power plants in Gangwon-do; the Seoul metropolitan area and central regions such as Chungcheong-do rely primarily on transmission networks for electricity. Therefore, locating large-scale power-consuming projects near power sources is one of the realistic options. In response to whether renewable energy alone is sufficient to support the semiconductor industry...

2026-07-03