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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

Nuclear power companies in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, selected for SMR advanced manufacturing technology project

Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, announced on the 30th that local nuclear power companies and research institutions have all been selected in a government project solicitation, and will participate in developing three key technologies to shorten the manufacturing cycle of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). This project is organized and solicited by the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment of South Korea and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP), with a focus on innovative SMR manufacturing technologies. These technologies are considered helpful in improving the manufacturing efficiency of key reactor components and compressing production cycles. According to the arrangement, Doosan Enerbility...

2026-07-31

Heavy water leak at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in South Korea found to be far larger than initially reported

The actual scale of the heavy water leak that occurred at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, in September last year, is reported to be far larger than the initially disclosed figure. The Gyeongju Environmental Movement Alliance disclosed on the 30th that a detailed internal report obtained from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) shows the total amount of heavy water leaked was 1,311.15 kg, approximately five times the initially reported 256 kg, of which 5.14 kg was recorded as having leaked outdoors. After the incident, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) had reported a heavy water leak of 256 kg and stated that no external leakage occurred. The detailed report now made public reveals...

2026-07-30

South Korea launches design of 250 MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor Helios

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), in collaboration with Hyundai Engineering & Construction and KEPCO E&C, has initiated the design of the next-generation sodium-cooled fast reactor Helios. The reactor is planned to have an electrical output of 250 MWe, based on the existing 100 MWe-class sodium-cooled fast reactor Salus-100 design, targeting large-scale power consumption applications such as AI data centers and industrial parks. Lee Je-hwan, head of the Fourth Generation Reactor Technology Development Department at KAERI, stated that future demand for large-scale carbon-free electricity around AI data centers and industrial parks...

2026-07-30

SK Innovation Proposes LNG and Small Modular Reactor Cooperation in Vietnam

South Korea's SK Innovation has proposed a phased energy cooperation plan for Vietnam, initially using liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generation to ensure electricity supply, and later expanding to next-generation nuclear energy technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs), in response to growing electricity demand driven by Vietnam's artificial intelligence and high-tech industry development. On July 29, SK Innovation announced that its CEO, Choo Hyeong-wook, visited Vietnam from the 16th to the 17th and met with officials from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN), and its power generation subsidiary, PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power), to discuss cooperation in the energy and high-tech sectors. According to SK Innovation's...

2026-07-30

Yeongdeok-gun, South Korea, Signs Cooperation Agreement with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for New Nuclear Power Plant Construction

On July 29, Yeongdeok-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, signed the "Mutual Cooperation Agreement for New Nuclear Power Plant Construction and Regional Development" with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) at the KHNP headquarters in Gyeongju. Under the agreement, both parties will strengthen collaboration in the process of advancing the new nuclear power plant, including expanding local enterprise participation, creating job opportunities, cultivating local talent, improving education and welfare infrastructure, and cooperating in administrative support and licensing procedures. At the same time, both sides will establish a mechanism for continuous communication with the local community to align project construction with regional development. In June 2025, Yeongdeok-gun was selected as the site for two new large-scale nuclear power plants promoted by the South Korean government and KHNP...

2026-07-30

Bill Gates May Visit South Korea Next Month, Advanced Nuclear Energy and AI Cooperation Expected to Be on Agenda

Industry insiders revealed on July 29 that Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Gates Foundation, plans to visit South Korea as early as next month and has requested a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's office. Currently, both sides are coordinating the meeting time and agenda, with the specific visit date and meeting arrangements yet to be confirmed. If the visit proceeds, it will be Gates' second engagement with South Korea on advanced industrial cooperation following his trip last year. In August last year, Gates visited South Korea, focusing on discussing cooperation plans in areas such as artificial intelligence and next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs). During the visit, Gates also...

2026-07-30

South Korea's Doosan Enerbility wins order for steam generator forgings for Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power Units 5 and 6.

South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility announced on the 27th that it has signed supply contracts with Dongfang Electric International (DEI) and Dongfang Heavy Machinery (DFHM)—subsidiaries of China’s Dongfang Electric Corporation—to provide u

2026-07-27