Korea, US weigh eight large reactors as team Korea eyes American build

The industry ministry said Thursday it convened a public-private committee to discuss building large nuclear power plants in the United States, the first such meeting since a bilateral framework was announced.

At the meeting, officials weighed a plan led by a "Team Korea" group of state utilities to build APR1400 reactors in the United States, alongside ways for Korean companies to join the supply chain for the US-designed AP1000, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. The framework, announced Sept. 30 US time, sets out the direction of nuclear cooperation between the two governments.

Discussions covered basic design, licensing, engineering-procurement-construction contracts and commissioning for two APR1400 units, along with target schedules.

On the AP1000 side, the committee discussed expanding Korean participation in the supply chain for six units. Buyers from the US nuclear industry will be invited to Gyeongju this month for the 2026 International Nuclear Export and Safety Conference, running Oct. 27-29, for purchasing consultations, with a separate session on the Korea-US nuclear partnership.

Kim Chang-hee, the ministry's nuclear strategy planning officer who chairs the committee, said the framework offers a chance to support US reactor expansion while lifting Korea's nuclear competitiveness. "Based on Korea's excellent nuclear capabilities and solid supply chain, the government will provide full support so that nuclear plant construction in the United States can be carried out successfully and K-nuclear power can spread further globally," he said.