As the government recently announced plans to build two large nuclear reactors and one small modular reactor (SMR), experts are calling for a paradigm shift in nuclear regulations ahead of the new construction. They argue that institutional reforms are inevitable to rapidly deploy nuclear power amid surging electricity demand in the artificial intelligence era.
On the 11th, Rep. Park Chung-kwon of the People Power Party (National Assembly Science and ICT Committee) held a policy seminar titled "K-Nuclear Power Depends on Regulation" at the National Assembly to discuss future regulatory directions for large reactors, SMRs, and fourth-generation nuclear plants. The seminar was organized after the government announced plans to pursue 3.5 gigawatts of nuclear construction included in the 11th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, with more than 60% of respondents in a public survey last month supporting nuclear construction.
Professor Chung Bum-jin of Kyung Hee University's Nuclear Engineering Department, who presented on large reactor regulation, emphasized the need for rapid nuclear deployment. "With the advent of hyperscale companies possessing large-scale data infrastructure and cloud capabilities—such as AI data centers and mega-factories—and the spread of SMRs, nuclear power's importance in the global energy market is growing," he said.
"However, Korea tends to underestimate electricity demand, leading to repeated situations where power plants must suddenly be added years after establishing supply plans. This has resulted in a shift toward LNG power generation, which has shorter construction periods, reducing the nuclear share," Chung noted.
Professor Chung proposed that Korea should work on shortening new reactor construction periods, improving operational utilization rates, and reforming the system for extending operating licenses. He criticized that Korea's construction permit reviews—even when no nuclear fuel is deployed—are conducted as rigorously as operating license reviews, causing construction delays. He also pointed out significant administrative inefficiencies from reviewing Preliminary Safety Analysis Reports at the same strict level as Final Safety Analysis Reports.
"When K-nuclear plants are exported, Korean-style regulations are exported with them," Chung advised. "Considering the influence on export destination countries, many opportunities for dialogue are needed to move toward a mutually beneficial structure."
Professor Chung Yong-hoon of KAIST's Nuclear and Quantum Engineering Department, presenting on SMR and fourth-generation reactor regulations, pointed out that SMR technical characteristics conflict with current law. Inconsistencies arise particularly in safety systems and site layout requirements. For example, most SMRs under development use passive safety systems that operate without pumps or power and run boron-free, but current law—based on large reactors—requires pumps and emergency power sources.
Professor Chung proposed a complete transition to Risk-Informed Performance-Based (RIPB) regulation for SMRs. RIPB prioritizes based on probabilistic risk assessment results, focusing regulation on high-risk facilities while relaxing requirements for low-risk ones. He also advocated for differentiated regulation that reasonably varies inspection intensity according to risk levels.
Additionally, Professor Chung urged swift institutionalization of pre-design reviews, allowing safety regulators to conduct preliminary assessments from the design stage to reduce uncertainty. "Flexible and rational regulatory approaches like this are being used in the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing framework '10 CFR Part 53,'" he said, adding that Korea should enhance K-nuclear competitiveness through global benchmarking.
A Nuclear Safety and Security Commission official participating in the panel discussion said, "We strongly agree with the need for a regulatory paradigm shift and are currently working to reduce review periods." However, the official noted, "From the regulator's perspective, ensuring safety is the top priority, and we face significant budget and personnel shortages."
The official added, "As we begin establishing the 4th Comprehensive Nuclear Safety Plan (2027-2031) this year, we will try to reflect these opinions as much as possible going forward."