The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 19th it will systematically carry out a strategy that bundles research and development (R&D), infrastructure expansion, industry-academia-research collaboration, and international cooperation to secure superconducting technology—considered a key element for the commercialization of fusion energy—independently by 2035.
Superconducting technology is essential to create an ultra-strong magnetic field inside a fusion reactor and is a field that requires high difficulty and long-term development. As competition over related technologies accelerates among overseas private companies and leading research institutions, the need is growing in Korea to build a preemptive technological base with commercialization timing in mind.
First, the Ministry of Science and ICT will build a 16-tesla (T) class superconducting conductor test facility so high-performance superconducting conductors can be tested and verified domestically. The facility is being constructed within the Korea Institute of Energy Technology, with construction of the experimental building to be completed by June this year, followed by equipment installation. The ministry said it aims to enhance the capability to verify the reliability of core parts and materials for fusion reactors and large research facilities through this effort. Overseas, Switzerland's SULTAN facility is known to allow performance testing up to 12T.
International cooperation will proceed in parallel. The Korea institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) will expand cooperation starting with the signing in March this year of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with CERN for joint research on superconducting wire fabrication. Separately, the Ministry of Science and ICT said it is also conducting joint development with the European Union (EU) on fusion blanket technology (a core component involved in power generation and tritium production).
Research in the field of high-temperature superconductors, regarded as next-generation technology, will also begin in earnest. High-temperature superconductors can create stronger magnetic fields and are evaluated as a technology that increases the potential for smaller fusion reactors. The Ministry of Science and ICT will pursue mid- to long-term R&D (a budget of 2.15 billion won this year) to secure materials, processes, and performance verification technologies needed for magnet manufacturing.
Meanwhile, it plans to build a "One-Team" cooperation framework in which research institutes, universities, and industry divide roles to push technology development, demonstration, and industrial linkage together, creating a pathway for research results to lead to commercialization. The Ministry of Science and ICT added it will complete the formation of the implementation system in the first half of 2026 to accelerate development.
Oh Dae-hyun, director general for future strategic technology policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "Superconducting technology is one of the core challenges that will determine the success or failure of fusion commercialization," adding, "We will promote technology acquisition by organically linking R&D, infrastructure, and international cooperation." Oh Young-guk, president of the Korea institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), said, "Based on the experience accumulated through KSTAR operations and international joint research, we will contribute to securing next-generation superconducting core technologies."