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U.S. asks Korea to adopt American reactors for Saudi bid, sparks accusations of interference

Published: 15 Oct. 2025, 18:20 Updated: 15 Oct. 2025, 18:34

A view of Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant [NEWS1]

The United States asked Korea to adopt an American reactor design in its bid for Saudi Arabia’s nuclear power project, underscoring Washington’s effort to expand its role in global nuclear cooperation. The Korean government is reportedly reviewing the proposal.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy James Danly met with senior officials from the Korean government and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul in late August, according to government and industry sources.

Danly proposed that Korea promote exports of a U.S.-style reactor model in the Saudi competition.

“Team Korea,” a consortium led by Kepco and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), has been preparing to bid for the Saudi project using Korea’s domestically developed APR1400 reactor. The U.S. requested that Korea instead adopt Westinghouse’s AP1000 model.

During a parliamentary audit on Monday, Rep. Seo Wang-jin of the Rebuilding Korea Party asked Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan, “We hear reports that the U.S. government asked that Kepco use Westinghouse’s AP1000 model when it bids in Saudi Arabia this November, and that Kepco and Westinghouse submit a joint bid.”

Kim replied, “Multiple export options, including APR1400, are under review, and ongoing discussions are in progress,” while noting that “exporting the APR1400 is difficult without U.S. technical licensing.”

An industry official familiar with the matter confirmed that the United States made such a proposal. The official said the request sought to ensure that Westinghouse takes part in the Saudi project.

“If the United States excludes Korea’s independent export model, the APR1400, to favor U.S. companies, it constitutes inappropriate interference," Rep. Seo said.

A view of Dukovany, the planned site for a new nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic [NEWS1]

Korea has already built a nuclear export supply chain around the APR1400 model. The reactor powered its first export project — the Barakah plant in the United Arab Emirates — and will be used again for two new reactors in the Czech Republic under a contract signed in June. Switching to the AP1000 would require new suppliers, extend construction timelines and increase costs.

Under an agreement signed in January between Kepco, KHNP and Westinghouse, Korea agreed to purchase $650 million worth of goods and services per reactor from Westinghouse and pay $175 million in technology licensing fees per unit.

The United States maintains control over key nuclear design technology but saw its construction capacity decline after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. This partial meltdown at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania became the most serious incident in U.S. commercial atomic history and led to major public concern and tighter safety regulations.

This means U.S. companies need help from Korean firms that specialize in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). If Korea builds AP1000 reactors in Saudi Arabia and establishes a related supply chain, those facilities could later support future U.S. nuclear construction efforts.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand U.S. nuclear power capacity from about 100 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by 2050.

“The exact background and intention of the U.S. proposal are difficult to determine, but within the U.S.-centered framework of international nuclear control, it is true that Korea cannot easily ignore the proposal and proceed with independent exports,” a senior official in the nuclear industry said. “The government is also considering whether to accept it.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG WON-SEOK [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]