Korea Atomic Power Annual Conference Brings Together Global Nuclear Power Cos. and Experts

MSIT Vice Minister Lee Chang-yoon, MOTIE Vice Minister Choi Nam-ho, Chairman Choi Won-ho of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), President Kim Hong-yeon of KEPCO KPS, President Kim Tae-kyun of KEPCO E&C, President Jeong Chang-jin of KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, Chmn. Cho Sung-don of the Korea Atomic Energy and Environment Corp. (KORAD), and Vice Chairman Jung Yeon-in of Doosan Enerbility attend a ceremony to open the 40th anniversary edition of Korea Atomic Power Annual Conference at Lotte Hotel in Seoul. (Photo: KAIF)

The Korea Atomic Industrial Forum (KAIF) held the 40th anniversary edition of Korea Atomic Power Annual Conference at Lotte Hotel in Seoul from April 29 to 30, with some 1,000 Korean and international nuclear power officials in attendance.

The KAP Annual Conference took place under the theme “Resilience and Versatile Contributions of Nuclear Energy.”

Among those on hand at an opening ceremony for the annual conference were Vice Minister Lee Chang-yoon of the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), Vice Minister Choi Nam-ho of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Chairman Choi Won-ho of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC), President Kim Hong-yeon of KEPCO KPS, President Kim Tae-kyun of KEPCO E&C, President Jeong Chang-jin of KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, Chairman Cho Sung-don of the Korea Atomic Energy and Environment Corp. (KORAD), and Vice Chairman Jung Yeon-in of Doosan Enerbility.

The participants also included Chris Anderson, head of TED, Secretary General Sama Bilbao y León of the World Nuclear Association (WNA), President Gary Rose of Canada’s Candu Energy, Chmn. Mikal Bøe of Core Power of the United States, and Vice President Jefry Miller of TerraPower of the United States.

In an opening speech, KAIF Chairman Whang Joo-ho, concurrently president of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., said “The Korea Atomic Power Annual Conference, which took place on April 29, 1986, to celebrate the commercial operation of Kori Power Unit 4, marks the 40th anniversary, and I hope the KAP annual Conference, which has led the development of the nuclear power industry while sticking together with every inflection point of the Korean nuclear power industry history, will establish itself as a flatform of expanding a global value chain and a stage of communication for greater development and growth.”

In a congratulatory speech, MSIT Vice Minister Lee said, “Korea has seen its nuclear technology reach the world’s top levels as the nation recently struck a deal on the initial design, a first step of the next-generation reactor research project, and I expect KAIF, marking the 40th anniversary, to grow into a global platform to further growth and development in the future, explore key agenda of nuclear power technology for human beings and provide solutions through cooperation and shared growth.”

In a commemorative speech, MOTIE Vice Minister Choi said, “Korea, a nation which has constructed and operated 32 nuclear power units, has achieved industrial development by stably supplying cheaper and quality power and we will strive to nurture Korea’s new growth engines through the development of Korean-type small-modular reactor and investments for spearheading into the future market like creation of nuclear funds.”

NSSC Chairman Choi said, “We will evolve nuclear power regulation regimes into more rational and efficient systems so that the competitiveness and safety of the Korean nuclear power industry can be recognized by the international society, and NSSC will introduce a regular inspection system and regulatory regimes based on danger information and merits and streamline a system on extended operation of nuclear power units.”

WNA Secretary General Sama Bilbao y León of the World Nuclear Association (WNA), a key-note speaker, said, “Nuclear power has emerged as a core energy resource accounting for more than 50 percent of Europe’s non-carbon power, and as nuclear power’s roles to achieve energy security and carbon neutrality are getting more significant, the world will have to join forces to cooperate in the nuclear power industry, discuss policy improvements and share technologies.”

Several panel sessions took place under the theme “Resilience and Versatile Contributions of Nuclear Energy.”

In the first session, titled “Beyond 60, New Roles of Operating Nuclear Power Units,” Hideki Masui, chairman of the Japanese Atomic Industrial Forum, the portion of nuclear power need to be raised according to global trends, and Japan seeks to push extended life of the existing nuclear power units and the construction of new ones.

A special session, titled “Changes of the Future Power Market and Nuclear Power’s Roles,” was chaired by Prof. Chung Bum-jin of Kyung Hee University.

Ji Hyun-ki, head of the DS Shared Growth Center at Samsung Electronics, stressed the need to brace for an explosive growth of power demand, caused by the development of the AI industry.

Thomas Griffith, a manager with Nuscale Power Corp., said nuclear power is the sole alternative to meet rising power demand and 2050 carbon neutrality goals.

Vice President Jeffrey Miller of TerraPower explained about Natrium Power Plant, now under construction at Wyoming, the United States and emphasized cooperation with Korean companies.

The latest KAP Annual Conference also served as an opportunity to look at a variety of pending global issues and latest technology trends, such as energy security, SMR and radwaste, suggest the future direction and roles of the nuclear power industry and roles and explore ways of promoting international cooperation to ramp up the competitiveness of the nuclear power industry.

The Annual Conference coincided with the International Nuclear Expo 2025 (INEX 2025), which took place from April 29 to 30. Scores of Korean and international exhibitors showcased the latest technologies and products during the exhibition.

The exhibitors included Korea Electric Power Corp. KEPCO KPS, KEPCO E&C, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, and KEPCO KDN as well Doosan Enerbility, KAERI, KORAD, Westinghouse, Orano and Framatome.

A foreign buyers’ pavilion, designed to help Korean companies explore overseas markets, made a good showing. Fourteen companies from nine countries held B2B meetings with Korean nuclear power SME and middle market companies over more than 250 cases.

KAIF plans to host the 41st KAP Annual Meeting and the Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference (PBNC) in Busan in April 2026. PBNC 2026 will take place in Korea for the first time in 14 years.