Busan has unveiled a mid- to long-term blueprint to develop small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear power plant decommissioning as future growth engines. The strategy aims to shift the city's existing large-reactor-centered industrial structure toward next-generation nuclear industries, capturing global supply chains and export markets ahead of competitors.
The Busan Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it has established the "Nuclear Industry Development Plan (2026-2030)," with a vision of "Busan, a Future Energy Industrial City Where Safety and Innovation Coexist," and will begin full-scale implementation.
The plan is the first comprehensive plan prepared under the "Ordinance on the Promotion and Support of the Nuclear Industry," and will serve as a mid- to long-term roadmap setting the direction of Busan's nuclear industry policy over the next five years.
The plan notably reflects shifts in the policy environment, as the global nuclear industry rapidly reorganizes from large reactors toward SMRs, while the decommissioning project for Kori Unit 1, Korea's first commercial nuclear reactor, is moving into full swing.
The city will invest approximately 188.2 billion won by 2030 to pursue a total of 18 key projects centered on four strategic pillars: industrial infrastructure expansion, corporate competitiveness enhancement, field-oriented talent development, and industry-academia-research-government cooperation.
In the area of industrial infrastructure expansion, the city will concentrate next-generation nuclear industry infrastructure around the SMR Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing Support Center and build a foundation for entry into the global SMR supply chain. The plan envisions supporting local companies to participate proactively in the expanding global next-generation reactor market.
To strengthen corporate competitiveness, the city will pursue international certification acquisition for local nuclear companies, link them with policy financing, and support business diversification. The aim is to establish a full-cycle support system that enables nuclear equipment companies to secure export competitiveness and lay the groundwork for entering global markets.
In the talent development area, the city will focus on cultivating field-oriented specialists in line with the expansion of the Kori Unit 1 decommissioning project. The plan is to establish a supply system for specialists capable of responding to new demand in decommissioning and radioactive waste management, in addition to reactor operations.
The industry-academia-research-government cooperation system will also be strengthened. Through the operation of a nuclear industry council, the establishment of export networks, and the creation of a promotion center, the city will expand the industrial ecosystem while also working to enhance public acceptance.
Busan is a leading nuclear power hub in Korea, hosting 6 of the country's 26 operating reactors and forming the largest concentration of nuclear industry firms in the nation. The city is considered well positioned for developing the SMR and reactor decommissioning industries.
Through this plan, the city aims to develop Busan's nuclear industry beyond its large-reactor-centered structure into an innovation hub for next-generation nuclear equipment industries encompassing SMRs, reactor decommissioning, and export industries.
"We will actively support Busan's leap into a global nuclear industry hub by developing SMRs, reactor decommissioning, and export industries as core future growth axes," said Kim Ki-hwan, head of the city's Citizen Safety Office.
