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| Fig. 1: The Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
While often overshadowed by their neighbors to the north in conversations surrounding nuclear energy, South Korea has an advanced nuclear energy program, buoyed by government support expanding to research and industry. Since the beginning of nuclear in South Korea in the 1970s, South Korea now operates 34 nuclear reactors that together supply 30% of the country's total power. [1] In 2020, South Korea consumed 11.8 exajoules of energy, of which 1.42 exajoules was nuclear energy. [2]
Major players in the nuclear energy landscape in South Korea fall under categories of research, industry, and regulation. The Korean Atomic Energy Institute [KAERI] is South Korea's institute dedicated to nuclear technology. Within industry, KEPCO is 51% government-owned, and together with five nuclear subsidiaries, is capable of taking a plant from design to decommissioning. [3] Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) is KEPCOs subsidiary that is responsible for construction management and operation. KHNP owns and operates 21 nuclear power plants in Korea. [3] Other subsidiaries of KEPCO include E and C, NF, and KPS, which are responsible for plant design, fuel engineering, and plant maintenance, respectively. Additionally, nuclear energy in Korea has significant government regulatory support. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) has the authority to regulate nuclear safety and establish nuclear safety policies; these responsibilities are entrusted to the NSCC by the nuclear safety regulatory framework of Korea. [4] The government also established two additional institutions the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KNIS) and the Korea Institute of Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC). [5] KINS is a nuclear safety regulatory institution, established in 1990, which conducts inspections, safety reviews, and safety research related to nuclear power plants in Korea. [5] KINAC is responsible for physical protection of nuclear power plants. [5]
The Korea Atomic Energy Institute [KAERI], South Korea's only institute dedicated to nuclear technology, was established in 1959. [6] Of particular importance to KAERI is research on nuclear safety. [6] KAERI performed experiments to evaluate and enhance the safety of Nuclear Power Plants using programs designed and operated in-house, called Advanced Thermal-Hydraulic Test Loop for Accident Simulation (ATLAS). [7] In the next four years, KAERI will provide experimental data from ATLAS and establish analysis methods and result interpretation. [7] Nuclear safety is a pressing issue in South Korea especially in response disasters like the Fukushima power plant accident. Regulatory bodies in South Korea are invested in prevention measures to ensure no similar disasters happen in the future. [6]
In 2014, Korea's low and intermediate nuclear waste disposal facility was completed in Gyeongju. [8] The disposal facility is 80 to 130 meters below sea level and cost $1.56 billion. [8] The selection of the site was a tumultuous process, beginning in 1986 and finally completed in 2005, when almost 90% of Gyeongju's residents approved the proposal. [8] As these sites fill up, South Korea is looking towards longer term solutions but has yet to find a confirmed future direction. The US and South Korea are working on pyroprocessing for nuclear waste disposal, but commercialization of this technology is projected only for 2040. [9]
KAERI is leading South Korea's efforts to export nuclear reactor technology.
In 2009, South Korea won a deal to build a nuclear reactor for research in Jordan. [10]
In July of 2021, KAERI signed a $3.88 billion deal with the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission to deliver digital instrumentation and control systems for Bangladesh's nuclear reactor. [11] KAERI is responsible for the safety of the nuclear reactor, and will provide monitoring and controlling systems. [3]
Currently, South Korea is involved in creating the first nuclear power plant in the UAE. [3] In 2009, KEPCO signed a contract to provide four nuclear reactors to the UAE. [3] KNHP built the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. [12] For a photo of the plant, see Fig. 1. The four reactors will constitute 25% of the UAE's energy supply. [12] In total, the deal included $20 billion to design and build the plant and $20 billion to operate the reactors for 60 years. [13]
South Korea is also bidding for a nuclear power deal in the Czech Republic, competing against the United States and France for the project. [14] Part of South Korea's appeal in building nuclear power overseas is their relatively non=contentious political position. The Czech Republic rejected both Russia's and China's bids due to safety risks. [14] The Czech Republic is planning to make a decision on the contract by 2023. [14]
South Korea is seen as an example of successful nuclear technology worldwide. Through strong government support, and emphasis on research and safety, Korea has established itself as a prominent country with expertise in building nuclear reactor technology, as evidenced by their various contracts with the UAE and Bangladesh. President Moon discussed moving away from nuclear power investments in the 2019 election, so the future of nuclear in South Korea is still to be determined. [1]
© Rekha Ramanathan. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] M. S. Kim, "How Greed and Corruption Blew up South Korea's Nuclear Industry," Technology Review, 22 Apr 19.
[2] "BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2021," British Petroleum, June 2021.
[3] "U.S. and South Korean Cooperation in the World Nuclear Energy Market: Major Policy Considerations," Congressional Research Service, R41032, June 2013.
[4] M. A. Pomper et al., "Strengthening the ROK-US Nuclear Partnership," Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, CNS Occasional Paper 24, February 2016.
[5] M. Cho, "South Korea Suggests Northeast Asia Nuclear Safety Group," Reuters, 14 Aug 14.
[6] P. Andrews-Speed, "South Korea's Nuclear Power Industry: Recovering From Scandal," J. World Energy Law Bus. 13, 47-57 (2020).
[7] K.-Y. Choi, C.-H. Song, and W.-P. Paek, "Atlas' Contribution to Nuclear Safety," Nuclear Engineering International, June 2015.
[8] S. Patel, "South Korea Begins Burying Nuclear Waste," Power Magazine, 1 Sep 15.
[9] M. Cho, "As Nuclear Waste Piles Up, South Korea Faces Storage Crisis," Scientific American, 12 Oct 14.
[10] "S. Korea to Export Nuclear Reactor Tech to Bangladesh," Yonhap News Agency, 15 Jul 21.
[11] I. Sajid, "South Korea to Export Nuclear Reactor Technology to Bangladesh," Anadolu Agency, 15 Jul 21.
[12] "UAE's Barakah Plant Starts Loading Fuel into KEPCO-Built 2nd Reactor," Yonhap News Agency, 15 Mar 21.
[13] A. Bakr, "South Korea Wins Landmark Gulf Nuclear Power Deal," Reuters, 27 Dec 09.
[14] B.-Y. Baek, "Korea Seeks to Win Czech Nuclear Power Plant Deal," Korea Times, 21 Jun 21.
