Nuclear Energy Development in South Korea

Abstract

In less than 40 years, South Korea developed one of the most successful nuclear industries in the world. In the 1970s, it launched its nuclear power programme when the size of its economy was merely 7.5 per cent of that in Japan at the time and its GDP per capita was lower than that in North Korea (Maddison 2006: 298–306). Given its low level of development and weak industries, it depended completely on foreign technology and assistance. Westinghouse and other foreign suppliers delivered completed plants with minimal Korean industry input. They designed, manufactured, constructed and eventually operated and managed the first nuclear power plant in South Korea. In barely a decade, Korean companies started participating in construction and the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) embarked on an effort to standardise and localise imported technology and develop a Korean model. In two decades, Korean designers worked with the American firm Combustion Engineering (C-E) to develop a Korean model of reactor OPR-1000. By the end of the century, it developed its advanced power reactor APR-1400. By 2010, nuclear power plants were able to meet over 30 per cent of the country’s electricity demands.