"Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced industries such as electric vehicles, semiconductors, and data centers operate on electricity. The amount of electricity consumed is also enormous. To have competitiveness in the newly emerging industrial structure, a stable and abundant power supply is essential."
On the 29th, Hwang Joo-ho, president of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and chairman of the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum (KAIF), noted during his speech at the opening ceremony of the '2025 Korea Nuclear Annual Conference' held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, that "nuclear power, which can provide a large amount of electricity stably without greenhouse gas emissions, is precisely the strength to overcome the electricity crisis and open a new era."
Hwang said, "In the rapidly advancing technological capability and reshaping industrial environment, new opportunities have emerged for the nuclear power sector," and presented three tasks.
First, Hwang emphasized the strategic use of operating nuclear power plants with safety as the top priority. He also mentioned, "Last year, global nuclear power generation increased by 3.7%, and the domestic nuclear power generation ratio recorded its highest level in 15 years at 32.5%," and added that "South Korea must strategically utilize the operating nuclear plants by enhancing the safety and efficiency of nuclear power through the advancement of operational systems and digital-based maintenance innovation."
He then said that it is necessary to create industrial opportunities beyond the demonstration of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) as a new growth engine. Hwang stated, "The construction of SMR has been confirmed in the 11th Basic Electricity Supply and Demand Plan. SMR is an energy source that can be utilized for various purposes, including not only electricity supply but also hydrogen production, processing, thermal supply, and seawater desalination."
He further noted, "Countries around the world are making every effort to seize the global SMR market, and corporations are enhancing their technological capabilities and strengthening their marketing with the active support and investment from the government," stating, "We must create new opportunities by differentiating our supply chain, design philosophy, and market approach from existing large nuclear power plants and make it a new growth engine for the nuclear power industry."
Finally, he suggested to establish a foundation of social trust regarding high-level radioactive waste management. Hwang stated, "With the establishment of the special law on high-level radioactive waste that had been the industry's long-standing wish in February, a foundation has been laid for the strategic and sustainable utilization of operating nuclear power plants," and he added, "We need to develop a mid-to-long-term roadmap for high-level radioactive waste management based on policy consistency and safety to secure public acceptance, and foster the advancement of waste management technology into an export industry."