As South Korea races to decarbonise its economy and meet soaring electricity demand, nuclear energy is at the heart of a strategy that could see indigenously developed small modular reactors (SMRs) online in the 2030s.
At the centre of this potential nuclear renaissance is state-owned nuclear giant Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), whose efforts to develop an innovative SMR could reshape how power is generated, regulated and exported.
However, the election of president Lee Jae-myung in June 2025 has introduced uncertainty, with his administration saying it will re-examine the role of nuclear energy.
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