A Memorandum of Understanding on Principles Concerning Nuclear Exports and Cooperation finalizes a provisional understanding reached in November of last year. It was signed by South Korea’s (S.K.) Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, who said on X, “Today, the United States and Republic of Korea reaffirmed our shared commitment to advancing peaceful nuclear energy. Together, we’re enhancing energy security, tackling the climate crisis, and ensuring a safer world.”
     The agreement covering exports of nuclear technology was signed by the U.S. and S.K. on the same day that the leaders of S.K. and the Czech Republic reaffirmed their commitment to nuclear projects including the expansion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant.
     The U.S. and S.K. have collaborated on civil nuclear power projects for more than seventy years according to a joint statement issued by the respective ministries. “The cornerstone of this cooperation reflects the two countries’ mutual dedication to maximizing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the highest international standards of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and non-proliferation.”
     The joint statement continued. “This MoU continues to build upon this long-standing partnership and provides a framework for the parties to cooperate in expanding civil nuclear power in third countries while strengthening their respective administration of export controls on civil nuclear technology. It will also provide a pathway to help both countries keep up with the emergence of new technologies in this sector.”
     The agreement is considered to be significant for S.K. nuclear exports to other countries. In August of 2024, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) was selected by the Czech government as its preferred bidder to construct up to four new nuclear power units in S.K.  S.K.’s APR1000 nuclear reactor is based on original technology obtained from Westinghouse, a U.S. company. This requires that exports of Korean reactors go through U.S. export consent or notification procedures.
     There has been a continuing dispute between Westinghouse and KHNP over the issue of intellectual property rights for the APR1000. This disagreement is the subject of international arbitration, a process which Westinghouse notes is not expected to be resolved before the second half of 2025.
     The new MoU could smooth the way for U.S. governmental consent for the Czech nuclear power plant deal. Negotiations with Westinghouse should become much more straightforward. A Korean Trade Ministry official told the Korea JoongAng Daily that “This has become an opportunity to strengthen export control cooperation by establishing an information sharing system for transferring civilian nuclear power technology to third countries. As a ‘global comprehensive strategic alliance’, we expect it to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the global market in the future.”
     Citing S.K’s Ministry of  Economy and Finance, Korea.net reported that the country’s acting president, Choi Sang Mok, told Czech Prime Minister Petr Filala on the 8th of January of this year that the country intends to “smoothly proceed with major cooperation projects between our two sides like the construction of a nuclear power plant in Dukovany and diplomatic affairs like high-level exchanges”.

South Korea

     South Korean (S.K.) engineering firm Doosan Enerbility has just signed a binding agreement with the International Nuclear Non-proliferation and Cooperation Centre (INC) at S. K.’s KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School to cooperate on the expansion of nuclear exports.
     The agreement was signed on the 26th of December during a ceremony attended by representatives from both parties. The attendees included Joo-ho Whang, President of the Educational Foundation at KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS); Chang-lak Kim, Acting President of KINGS; Yong-soo Hwang, Head of the International Nuclear Non-proliferation and Cooperation Centre and Jongdoo Kim, CEO of Doosan Enerbility’s Nuclear Business Group.
     With the signing of the agreement, Doosan Enerbility and INC agreed to cooperate on pursuing the expansion of nuclear exports and reinforcing the global nuclear non-proliferation efforts. Cooperation will be pursued on developing export policies and cultivating a supportive environment. These include bolstering nuclear partnerships with the U.S. in the area of nuclear security and strengthening the domestic supply chain in S.K.
      In response to the surging electricity demanded by AI data centers, cooperation will also be pursued in the areas of small modular reactor (SMR) technology development and supply chain establishment. Joint efforts will also be made in developing a nuclear non-proliferation culture that promotes peaceful applications of nuclear energy.
     Doosan Enerbility stated that “The agreement focuses on creating a favorable export environment based on non-proliferation efforts and developing an export strategy through South Korea-US cooperation. This investment initiative exemplifies our commitment to sustain the nuclear industry by closely collaborating with the academic community.”
     The INC was established by KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School in July 2024. It is engaged in various cooperation initiatives with the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Sandia National Laboratories. The INC’s focus is on developing strategies for the overall nuclear exports process. Its coverage will range from large nuclear power plants and SMRs to nuclear decommissioning and spent nuclear fuel management. It is currently working on developing strategic partnerships with a variety of institutions at home and abroad to establish a broad cooperative framework.
     Doosan Enerbility’s Jongdoo Kim said, “This agreement will play a significant role in contributing to the international community’s nuclear non-proliferation efforts and enhancing the competitiveness of our nuclear exports. We plan to continuously work in collaboration with the INC and will seek to further solidify the position held by Korea’s nuclear industry in the global nuclear energy market.”
     In July of 2022, the S.K. government announced a new energy policy which is intended to maintain nuclear power’s share of the country’s energy mix at a minimum of thirty percent by 2030. It also has a goal of exporting ten nuclear power plants by 2030, as well as the development of a Korean SMR design.
     In August of 2020, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Doosan Enerbility and nuclear energy equipment and materials manufacturers with the intent of revitalizing the S.K.’s nuclear industry. The MoU aims to increase the competitiveness of the nuclear industry ecosystem through shared growth, collaborating to contribute to carbon neutrality, responding to the energy crisis and stabilization of power supply. The industry plans to cooperate to create new jobs, develop joint technologies, exchange manpower and expand exports.

Doosan Enerbility