South Korea and France Agree to Deepen Nuclear Energy R&D and Nuclear Fuel Supply Cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to France, held a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on September 8. The two sides stated after the meeting that they would further expand cooperation in the nuclear energy sector, with a focus on nuclear energy R&D, nuclear fuel supply, next-generation reactor development, and mid- to long-term supply chain diversification.

Lee Jae-myung said at a joint press conference that the two countries had signed supplementary documents on cooperation in nuclear energy R&D and nuclear fuel supply to deepen the nuclear energy cooperation agreement reached between the two nations in April. Both sides confirmed that they would continue to advance cooperation in next-generation reactor development and mid- to long-term supply chain diversification.

According to related reports, the two countries also decided to establish a new high-level civilian nuclear energy dialogue mechanism to promote private sector participation in nuclear energy cooperation. This mechanism will be used to implement follow-up arrangements between the two sides in nuclear energy R&D, fuel supply, and industrial collaboration.

In terms of reactor technology, both sides mentioned strengthening joint development of next-generation reactors, including small modular reactors. Reports also indicated that France would cooperate with South Korea on nuclear fuel supply chain stability through a letter of intent on long-term enrichment services.

During this summit, South Korea and France signed a total of 16 documents, including intergovernmental agreements, memoranda of understanding, and cooperation documents involving the private sector. In addition to nuclear energy issues, the two countries also discussed cooperation in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space, and biotechnology, but nuclear energy R&D and nuclear fuel supply were listed as one of the key cooperation areas at this summit.