(Yonhap Interview) S. Korea prepares launch of new SMR review system this month: nuclear watchdog chief

By Kang Jae-eun

SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) -- Small modular reactors (SMRs) have emerged as an important, carbon-free energy source in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), where the explosive growth of data centers requires an unprecedented amount of stable power.

In response to such shifts in energy demands, South Korea is set to introduce a preliminary review system designed to streamline the commercial development and deployment of SMRs starting later this month. The system will allow SMR developers to undergo safety and design verifications before formal licensing. It has already been adopted in countries such as the United States and Canada.

With less than a month to go ahead of the system's launch, around ten companies -- both from home and abroad -- have expressed their intent to apply, with some considering making a submission immediately after the system takes effect, the head of the country's nuclear watchdog said.

"There are a few SMR developers saying they will apply as soon as the preliminary review system is launched," Choi Won-ho, the head of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.

They include BEES Inc., a South Korean SMR developer, TerraPower from the U.S. and Saltfoss Energy from Denmark, according to Choi.

In February, South Korea announced its roadmap to establish a regulatory framework for SMRs. Under the scheme, the NSSC will overhaul existing safety standards in phases by 2030 to include nuclear reactors of various designs and purposes.

"The system can ease uncertainties surrounding regulatory reviews for companies, while also allowing institutions to understand new technologies from a regulatory perspective earlier on," Choi said.

Choi noted that his agency is actively participating in global projects on SMR regulations, including those led by the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is also in discussions with countries like the U.S. and Canada, which already have experience in the authorization of such reactors.

"It's important to ensure international consistency in our SMR regulations."

Establishing a domestic regulatory framework is not just important for deployment at home, but for South Korea's nuclear export strategy, the watchdog chief said.

In 2009, a South Korea-led consortium won a project to export four nuclear reactors using its homegrown technology to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), all of which have commenced commercial operations as of 2024. This was followed by another project to build two reactors in the Czech Republic's Dukovany, signed last year.

"To export nuclear reactors, the sharing and transferring of expertise on safety regulation to the host country ... is as important as the nuclear technology itself," Choi said.

Most recently, the NSSC is discussing areas of cooperation with Vietnam, which officially restarted its nuclear power program in 2024.

"Vietnam is requesting our support in the establishment of a safety regulatory framework and the training and education of related personnel," he explained.

On the timeline regarding the lifespan extension review of seven aging reactors, Choi said he expects the commission to review Hanbit units 1 and 2 within the first half of 2027 and Hanul units 1 and 2 by the second half of next year.

A total of 10 nuclear reactors were up for lifespan extension reviews following a request from the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP), the state-run nuclear plant operator.

The NSSC has since approved a 10-year extension for three pressurized water reactors that have been in operation for over 40 years -- Kori units 2, 3 and 4 -- located in the country's southeastern coast.

The nuclear watchdog, meanwhile, vowed to continue its monitoring activities regarding Japan's continued release of water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

"We have been analyzing the effects of the water release at 78 points," he said. "The NSSC plans to continue the inspection of not only our territorial waters, but the monitoring of activities carried out by Japan."

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