South Korea exports nuclear reactor design to US in historic first

​​​​​​​By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - A South Korean consortium has won a deal to export research reactor technology to the US in a historic first, The Chosun Daily reported Thursday.

The contract marked a symbolic milestone for South Korea's nuclear industry, 66 years after the country initially imported a research reactor from the US.

South Korea’s Science Ministry announced that the consortium, led by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), along with Hyundai Engineering and US-based MPR, signed a preliminary design contract for the University of Missouri’s next-generation research reactor project.

It described the deal as a landmark achievement, emphasizing its significance given South Korea's nuclear program began in 1959 with the arrival of its first research reactor supplied by the US.

The contract includes the initial design phase for a high-performance, 20-megawatt-thermal research reactor to be constructed at the school. The consortium was selected as the preferred bidder for the project last July after an international tender process.

Industry officials credited the victory to South Korea’s advanced research reactor technology and its vast experience in nuclear engineering. Notably, KAERI’s proprietary high-density nuclear fuel, which boosts reactor performance and strengthens non-proliferation safeguards, was highlighted as a key factor in the successful bid.​​​​​​​