Lee gov't reignites debate over nuclear's role in 'pragmatic' energy policy with SMR push

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Lee gov't reignites debate over nuclear's role in 'pragmatic' energy policy with SMR push

Published: 23 Jun. 2025, 14:28 Updated: 23 Jun. 2025, 18:42

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Visitors at the "2024 Busan International Nuclear Energy Industry Expo" held in April 2024, in Busan, look at a model of the APR1400, Korea’s homegrown nuclear reactor developed using entirely domestic technology. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

Are small modular reactors, or SMRs, a practical evolution of nuclear energy, or do they inherit the same flaws of their predecessors?

Korea is now locked in a heated debate over the government’s push to expand SMRs, as the Lee Jae Myung administration champions what it calls a “pragmatic” energy policy.

SMRs are defined by their capacity. They carry no more than 300 megawatts in capacity and are compact, factory-fabricated and assembled on-site, allowing for shorter construction timelines and lower costs compared to conventional nuclear plants. SMRs are carbon-free, and because of their size and modularity, they can be deployed closer to population centers, sidestepping the logistics and transmission challenges that come with building large-scale reactors in remote coastal areas.

President Lee, though a proponent of renewable energy during his campaign, acknowledged the need for SMRs. But it was a move by his own party — the generally nuclear-wary Democratic Party (DP) — that reignited controversy. On June 12, the party introduced a bill aimed at accelerating SMR development, a legislative attempt to align with and institutionalize the government’s energy strategy.

The bill, led by DP lawmaker Hwang Jung-ah, proposes the establishment of a national roadmap for SMR technology, formal administrative and fiscal support for regulatory reform and private-sector participation and pilot programs. It also calls for workforce training initiatives and policies to build public acceptance. Hwang said the legislation was a response to international trends, citing the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, all of which have adopted proactive support measures for SMR development.

Environmental groups resisted immediately.

The Korea Federation for Environmental Movements issued a statement on June 13 denouncing SMRs as “not an innovation but a delusion of the nuclear industry.” The group warned that SMRs carry a greater risk of radiation leakage during severe accidents, arguing their reduced size compromises both cooling capabilities and containment. It added that the “technology remains unproven, both economically and in terms of safety.”

The nuclear science community quickly pushed back.

The Korean Nuclear Society released a document on June 18 titled “Fact Check on Environmental Group Claims,” asserting that “SMRs, with their integrated designs, do not require the large piping that can lead to vulnerabilities in traditional reactors.”

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute also argued that SMRs are more efficient than renewables in addressing the climate crisis, and stressed that they can meet localized electricity demand precisely and reduce the strain on the national grid.

The question of economic and technical feasibility looms large, particularly with the target for commercial deployment set for 2030. While critics highlight the uncertainties, major global tech firms including Microsoft and Tesla have begun pouring investments into SMR projects, citing concerns over growing electricity demand in the AI era.

Chung Bum-jin, a professor of Nuclear Engineering at Kyung Hee University, said the “international competition over SMRs is already underway” and warned that the market could be claimed quickly.

“We don’t know who will lead this industry,” he said. “The market is in its infancy. What it needs now is support, not obstruction.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM KI-HWAN [[email protected]]