Gyeongsangbuk-do Province presented a future vision for a small modular reactor (SMR) ecosystem centered on Gyeongju at a Gyeongbuk session held during the Korean Nuclear Society's spring conference, the provincial government said Tuesday.
The Gyeongbuk session was organized to explore the role and development direction of SMRs amid surging electricity demand driven by the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and the imperative of carbon neutrality.
The keynote speech was delivered by Kim Moo-hwan, former president of POSTECH, under the title "The Future of SMR: What Should We Prepare For."
Presentations followed by Kim Mi-kyung, director general of the Energy Industry Bureau at Gyeongsangbuk-do Province; Yuk Jin-sung, general manager at POSCO Holdings; Sim Hyung-jin, professor at Seoul National University; Cho Yoon-je, center director at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute; and Lee Sang-il, professor at Seoul National University.
A comprehensive discussion was then held under the theme "The Role and Significance of the SMR Ecosystem in the Era of AI and Carbon Neutrality," chaired by Lee Jae-young, professor at Handong Global University.
Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on development plans to link regional specialized industries with the creation of the Gyeongju SMR national industrial complex.
In particular, they expected that the carbon-free energy supplied through SMRs would serve as a core foundation for the transition to hydrogen-based steelmaking, a key challenge for Pohang's steel industry.
Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is building a foundation for the full-cycle SMR ecosystem spanning research and development, manufacturing, production, and demonstration through the opening of the Munmu the Great Science Research Institute, the creation of the SMR national industrial complex, and the establishment of the SMR manufacturing support center.
"Based on our accumulated infrastructure, we will lead the construction of the first SMR unit and reflect field voices in policy to ensure that SMRs become a key pillar supporting the regional economy and national energy security," said Yang Geum-hee, economic vice governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
