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South Korea Approves Restart of Shin-Kori Unit 1

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea announced on August 21 that it has approved the restart of Shin-Kori Unit 1, located in Ulju County, Ulsan. The unit has been under routine inspection since July 2. On the same day, the commission approved the unit to reach criticality. Criticality refers to the state in which a sustained nuclear fission chain reaction can be maintained within the reactor core, with a balanced neutron population. Once criticality is achieved, the reactor can gradually resume operation under safely controlled conditions. The NSSC stated that this routine inspection involved 98 inspection items required before the reactor could reach criticality, of which 86 have been completed, confirming that the unit meets the conditions for safely achieving criticality.

2026-08-22

South Korea's National Assembly Passes Amendments on Radiation Disaster Response, Strengthening the Treatment System for Radiation Victims

The South Korean National Assembly held a plenary session on the 20th and passed two livelihood bills proposed by Rep. Yoon Jun-byeong, a member of the Parliamentary Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs and Fisheries Committee. The bills concern the establishment of a radiation disaster response system and adjustments to the support system for surviving family members of national meritorious persons. Under the amendments passed, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute will be granted the qualification to operate as a specialized hospital for treating radiation victims. This arrangement aims to further improve the national medical safety net, enabling industrial radiation workers and victims of accidental radiation incidents to receive faster and more systematic treatment and rehabilitation support. Meanwhile, another amendment was also passed. This amendment, in accordance with the Constitutional Court's ruling of nonconformity, abolishes the provision that prioritized age as the sole criterion in the payment of survivor benefits to families of national meritorious persons of the same rank. After the relevant institutional adjustment, greater emphasis will be placed on safeguarding the rights of low-income households to reduce blind spots in welfare support.

2026-08-21

South Korea Amends Nuclear Safety Act to Clarify Safety Responsibilities of Nuclear Facility Operators

The National Assembly of South Korea passed a partial amendment to the Nuclear Safety Act at its 438th special session on August 20, marking the first time that nuclear-related business operators' primary responsibility for nuclear facility safety has been explicitly established at the legal level. This move signifies that South Korea's nuclear safety management system will further transition from a licensing and regulation-centered approach to a responsibility system aligned with the safety principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The amendment was proposed by South Korean lawmaker Oh Se-hee. Prior to the revision, South Korea's Nuclear Safety Act primarily established safety standards and regulatory procedures around reactor construction and operating licenses, nuclear material use, and radioactive waste management facility operations, but lacked...

2026-08-21

South Korea Approves License Amendment for Gyeongju Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea announced on August 21 that it held its 12th meeting of 2026 in written form on August 20, reviewing and approving the license amendment for the construction and operation of the near-surface disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste operated by the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD). The near-surface disposal facility is located in Munmu-daewang-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and is the second-phase project of the Gyeongju low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste disposal facility. Near-surface disposal refers to the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste in near-surface facilities, rather than in deep underground caverns. The facility completed its pre-operational inspection in March this year. This license amendment is primarily intended to update the safety analysis report...

2026-08-21

South Korea's DaeChang Solution Secures Special Steel Contract for French Nuclear Power Turbines

South Korean steel casting manufacturer DaeChang Solution Co. announced on August 21 that it has signed a special steel supply contract with Arabelle Solutions France, with the products to be used in steam turbines for small modular reactors (SMRs) and large nuclear power plants. According to the announcement, the contract value is EUR 50.7649 million, equivalent to approximately KRW 82.631 billion based on the initial market exchange rate of KRW 1,627.72 per euro on the contract signing date. This amount represents 138% of DaeChang Solution's 2025 consolidated sales of KRW 59.877 billion. Of the contract value, 70% is a fixed amount, i.e., EUR 37.2055 million...

2026-08-21

South Korea Raises 2040 Electricity Demand Forecast, Increment Equivalent to 19 Large Nuclear Power Units

A forum on the formulation of South Korea's 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand was held in Seoul on August 20. The new round of electricity demand forecasts submitted at the meeting showed that by 2040, South Korea's annual maximum electricity demand is expected to reach 158.4 GW to 165.0 GW, an upward revision of 26.6 GW to 26.8 GW compared to the forecast proposed in April this year. Based on the 1.4 GW single-unit capacity of the AP1400 large nuclear power unit under construction in South Korea, the increment in electricity demand from this upward revision is equivalent to the electricity provided by approximately 19 large nuclear power units operating at full power. The previous April forecast for the 2040 annual maximum electricity demand was 131.8 GW to 138.2 GW. The new forecast reflects semiconductor industry clusters...

2026-08-21

Korea Advances Construction of Temporary Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility at Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) is advancing the construction of a temporary spent fuel storage facility at the Hanbit nuclear power plant site. The company recently launched an information session process for local residents, planning to collect opinions through briefings and discussion meetings. According to the schedule, three briefing sessions will be held on the 25th and 26th of this month in Yeonggwang County, South Jeolla Province. The first session is set for 2:00 PM on the 25th at the Hongnong Community Center, with the other two held at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM on the 26th at the Gunam-myeon Multipurpose Center and Starlight Hotel, respectively. Following the briefings, a discussion meeting will be held on the 1st of next month at 2:00 PM at the Starlight Hotel, with Korea Electric Power Corporation (...

2026-08-21

Yonsei Cancer Hospital in South Korea Expands Heavy Ion Radiotherapy Indications, Three Systems Operating Simultaneously

Yonsei Cancer Hospital in South Korea recently announced that it has further expanded the indications for heavy ion radiotherapy to include head and neck cancer, sarcoma, and recurrent rectal cancer. Since becoming the first hospital in South Korea to perform heavy ion radiotherapy for prostate cancer in 2023, the hospital has gradually expanded its treatment scope to cover pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and other cancer types. Medical staff, including Proton Therapy Center Director Kim Woong-sub (left), are preparing for proton therapy. (Photo provided by Yonsei University Medical Center) Meanwhile, the hospital's second rotating heavy ion radiotherapy system has been fully commissioned. This brings the hospital to a configuration of one fixed-beam system and two rotating systems operating simultaneously. The hospital...

2026-08-20

South Korea plans to build an innovative self-developed fusion reactor by 2035

Yang Hyeong-ryeol, head of the fusion sector of the K-Moonshot project at the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), recently stated that South Korea plans to complete the construction of an independently developed innovative fusion reactor by 2035 and strives to complete power generation demonstration by 2039. He said that nuclear fusion is an extremely challenging technical endeavor, but once a breakthrough is achieved, it will have broad driving effects on the energy, industrial, and technological systems. Yang Hyeong-ryeol, project director of South Korea's Moonshot program, said nuclear fusion is often called an artificial sun because it generates energy by simulating the energy production process inside the sun. Against the backdrop of rapid expansion of AI applications, rising electricity demand, and increasing global pressure for carbon reduction, the commercialization of fusion energy is attracting growing attention from more countries and enterprises. The South Korean government has listed nuclear fusion, along with small modular reactors and renewable energy, as key future technology directions, and hopes to advance the commercialization of fusion energy through public-private partnerships.

2026-08-20

South Korea's Woori Technology Wins Supply Contract for Control Systems for Kori Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4

Woori Technology announced on August 20 that it has signed a supply contract with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to provide equipment and technical support for the Plant Monitoring System (PMS) facility improvement project for Units 3 and 4 of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant. According to the disclosed information, the contract amount is KRW 8.4726 billion, approximately KRW 8.5 billion, excluding value-added tax, accounting for 9.72% of Woori Technology's consolidated sales in 2025. The contract period runs from August 19, 2026 to February 21, 2028, with sales and supply limited to South Korea, and the supply method is in-house production. Under the contract arrangement, Woori Technology will...

2026-08-20

TerraPower Plans to Deepen South Korean Supply Chain Cooperation to Advance K-Sodium SMR Business Model

TerraPower CEO Chris Levesque recently stated that South Korea possesses strong nuclear supply chain capabilities, with both a foundation in small modular reactor (SMR) construction and familiarity with the stable power demands of AI data centers, semiconductors, and other industries. TerraPower plans to further strengthen cooperation with South Korean companies in supply chain and project manufacturing. Levesque stated that small modular reactors are not a technology intended to replace traditional large-scale nuclear power plants, but rather a new class of energy solution targeting incremental electricity demand in the AI era. He recently met with TerraPower Chairman Bill...

2026-08-19

South Korea Has Not Yet Decided Whether to Include New Nuclear Power in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand

South Korea's Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, Kim Sung-hwan, said during a meeting with reporters at the Sejong Government Complex on August 18 that the government has not yet reached a conclusion on whether to include new nuclear power plants in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand. Kim said that government policy cannot be determined solely by the personal will of the minister in charge, and it is not appropriate to make premature statements at this stage. He emphasized that related matters will be decided after going through the necessary deliberation process. Regarding whether nuclear power will be included in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, the government plans to clarify the direction of discussion as soon as possible, including how public opinions will be reflected, how the review procedures involving experts and public participation will be structured, and what methods will be used to conduct debates or public discussions before the plan is released...

2026-08-19

Automatic Shutdown of Unit 4 at South Korea's Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, Regulator Launches Investigation

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) of South Korea reported on August 19 that Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. (KHNP) had reported the same day that Unit 4 of the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, located in Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, automatically shut down at approximately 8:50 a.m. The NSSC stated that Unit 4 of the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is currently in a stable condition. No abnormal alarms were triggered by on-site radiation monitors, and no leakage of radioactive materials to the outside environment has been detected. According to the notification, the NSSC's regional office for the Hanul Nuclear Power Plant is conducting inspections of on-site safety conditions. The regulatory body also plans to dispatch an investigation team comprising experts from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) to the site to further confirm the cause of the automatic shutdown and related safety conditions.

2026-08-19

Korea's COSMAX Partners with Pohang Accelerator Laboratory to Use Synchrotron Radiation Accelerator for Cosmetics R&D

COSMAX, a global cosmetics ODM company, announced on the 18th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) in Korea to conduct cosmetics R&D using advanced scientific and technological infrastructure such as the synchrotron radiation accelerator. At the MOU signing ceremony held at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, COSMAX Group Chairman Lee Kyung-soo (left) poses with PAL Director Kim Jae-young. / Photo provided by COSMAX. According to reports, the Pohang Synchrotron Radiation Accelerator (PLS-II) operated by the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory generates light more than 10 billion times brighter than sunlight, enabling atomic-scale analysis of nanoscale material structures. Currently, the facility has been used for microstructural research across multiple industrial fields, including new drugs, semiconductors, and new materials.

2026-08-18

Gyeongju City, South Korea, Promotes Cooperation with Uzbekistan in Nuclear Power and Water Resources

Gyeongju City, South Korea, is pushing to expand exchange and cooperation with Uzbekistan in areas such as nuclear power and water resource management. Gyeongju City stated on August 13 that Mayor Joo Nak-young met with an economic delegation from Kashkadarya Province, Uzbekistan, at the external cooperation office in the city hall that day. The delegation included Deputy Mayor of Bukak City Karimov Bakhtiyor Ismoilovich, as well as business figures from major industrial sectors in Kashkadarya Province. Prior to visiting the Gyeongju City government, the delegation toured the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), as well as Gyeongju City's public sewage treatment plant and water quality research building. The delegation gained on-site insights into...

2026-08-18