Following the government's agreement on the "ROK-U.S. Nuclear Framework" to construct eight large-scale nuclear reactors in the United States, follow-up measures have officially kicked off.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it held a public-private joint Nuclear Export Strategy Committee meeting at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, this afternoon (Oct. 1).

This marks the first meeting held after the governments of South Korea and the United States announced their agreement on the nuclear framework as part of the plan to advance U.S. investment projects.

Attended by government officials, nuclear energy public enterprises, financial institutions, and industry representatives, the meeting discussed ways to promote ROK-U.S. nuclear cooperation to implement the framework and expand South Korean corporate participation in the projects.

According to the framework, out of the eight nuclear reactors, two will be built using South Korea's APR1400 model, while the remaining six will be constructed using the AP1000 model from U.S. nuclear firm Westinghouse.

However, as the two nations have reached a broad agreement, each project must go through detailed elaboration and subsequent negotiation procedures.

The committee discussed step-by-step and sector-specific implementation plans regarding the APR1400 construction, including basic design, licensing, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts, commissioning services, project target schedules, and conditions for achieving target construction periods.

In particular, discussions also covered establishing a response system centered around "Team Korea," including Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), to prepare for the construction of the APR1400 in the United States.

The plan is for nuclear public enterprises, export financial institutions, constructors, and equipment suppliers to form a consultative body early on, as detailed conditions for the nuclear construction project are presented, to timely execute everything from proposal drafting, implementation plan establishment, and bidding document preparation to licensing responses.

The committee also explored ways to expand South Korean companies' participation in the AP1000 supply chain.

To this end, plans are underway to invite U.S. nuclear industry buyers to the "Nuclear Export & Safety (NES) 2026" conference to be held in Gyeongju from October 27 to 29, and host buyer consultation sessions, business meetings between South Korean and U.S. firms, and a separate session for the ROK-U.S. Nuclear Partnership.

(Photo: Yonhap News)