KOREAN NET

Park Sang-ook, senior secretary to the president for science and technology, on Oct. 20 discusses a government plan to build small modular reactors on the TV current affairs talk show “Sunday Diagnosis Live” of public broadcaster KBS. (Screen capture of KBS' YouTube channel)

By Kim Hyelin

The government's 11th basic plan for electric power supply to be announced around year's end will include the construction of four small modular reactors (SMR), the Office of the President said.

Speaking on the current affairs talk show "Sunday Diagnosis Live" on Oct. 20 of public broadcaster KBS, Senior Secretary to the President for Science and Technology Park Sang-ook said, "SMR is a nuclear technology that can develop into a next-generation growth engine and a reliable export item."

On the level of domestic SMR technology, he said, "Our SMR technology is ranked second or third worldwide," adding, "The KRW 1,000 trillion nuclear power market is for large-scale nuclear plants to replace old ones or expand capacity at existing nuclear plant sites, but in large-sized nuclear plants, Korea's competitiveness is close to overwhelming."

Secretary Park said the government is working to improve SMR licensing criteria, adding, "We're ramping up efforts to ensure timely SMR licensing like hiring more specialists for the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety."

kimhyelin211@korea.kr