Korea hosts first IAEA ministerial nuclear conference

South Korea opened the International Atomic Energy Agency's nuclear ministerial conference in Incheon, the first time the country has hosted the quadrennial gathering, the Ministry of Science and ICT said.

The sixth IAEA Nuclear Energy Ministerial runs through Thursday at the Songdo Convensia, drawing about 800 participants from 60 member governments, eight international organizations and roughly 85 companies. Deputy Prime Minister and Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon is chairing the meeting, which began at 10 a.m. and was last held in the United States after earlier stops in France, China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

In his opening remarks, Bae presented three policy directions for Korea: strengthening trust through safety and transparency, the safe development and demonstration of small modular reactors, and positioning the country as a global production base for nuclear equipment. Seoul will raise safety standards under an independent regulatory system based on scientific review and the recommendations of IAEA peer reviews, and will publish operating and safety information to build public and international confidence, the ministry said.

On small modular reactors, the government plans to combine public and private capacity to speed development and demonstration while respecting the independence of regulators. It will strengthen the research and testing base for regulation and pursue designs suited to data center power supply, industrial heat and ship propulsion, with legislation and rules revised to support commercialization of technologies whose safety has been verified. Korea also aims to back strict quality control and stable supply for its manufacturing and construction capability abroad, using artificial intelligence and robotics to tighten safety and quality management on site.

"Based on the Special Act on Small Modular Reactors and the seven future strategic technology projects, we will pool public and private capabilities to push forward the safe development and demonstration of SMRs and open a new future for K-nuclear," Bae said. "We will connect Korea's manufacturing and construction capabilities with global nuclear demand, leap forward as a global production base, and grow together with the international community as a model nuclear country that upholds safety and trust."

Bae said in his opening address that countries should pool their technology and experience under the principles of safety, nuclear security and nonproliferation so that the benefits of nuclear power reach more countries and people.

The conference's senior-level sessions cover policies and strategies for energy security and carbon neutrality, including reactor introduction, regulation and small modular reactors. Expert sessions examine workforce training, financing and the building of public trust needed to turn policy into projects, and Korea is leading a session on innovation and international cooperation that focuses on using artificial intelligence to improve nuclear safety and efficiency.

Ahead of the opening, the ministry held a Korea-U.S. nuclear industry conference with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Monday, bringing together 150 people from both governments and 50 companies and institutions. U.S. participants included TerraPower, NuScale Power, Oklo, Kairos Power and Centrus Energy, while Korean attendees included Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Doosan Enerbility, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Samsung C&T, SK Innovation and Samsung Heavy Industries.