IAEA Chief in Korea: Nuclear Energy, Safety and Safeguards

During his trip, Mr Grossi visited the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, roughly 170 kilometers south of Seoul, to take part in the opening ceremony of the International Symposium Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the RCA Regional Office — a regional cooperative agreement that promotes the use of nuclear science and technology for development and peaceful uses. Mr Grossi described the RCA as an essential part of joint efforts to realize the goal of atoms for peace and development in Asia and the Pacific.

Delighted to visit KAIST, Mr Grossi said the institutes in Daejeon, such as the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), produced an impressive amount of top-level research in the nuclear field and thanked First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Oh Tae-Seog for a warm welcome there. At KAIST, Mr Grossi delivered a lecture on the future of nuclear energy and peaceful uses of nuclear science for development to nuclear engineering students.

“The Republic of Korea has extensive expertise, technical know-how and a very promising future in the nuclear field,” Mr Grossi told the students. RoK currently has 25 nuclear power reactors in operation with a further three under construction. Last year, 28 per cent of the country’s electricity production came from nuclear. In July, President Yoon set a target for nuclear to provide a minimum of 30 per cent of the country’s electricity in 2030.

At KAIST, Mr Grossi also met with Whang Joo-Ho, CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power — a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corporation, the country’s largest electric utility. The two spoke about small modular reactors (SMRs) and an IAEA initiative launched in June to accelerate the development and deployment of SMRS, the Nuclear Harmonization and Standardization Initiative (NHSI).

“The new impetus of the Republic of Korea’s nuclear energy program will help it achieve its decarbonization objectives, as shown by the start of commercial operations of Shin-Hanul-1,” Mr Grossi said, referring to the 1400 megawatt (e) reactor that entered commercial operation this month.

Mr Grossi also received from Busan University of Foreign Affairs an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Global Studies. In receiving the honour, Mr Grossi shared how the IAEA promotes peace and development and emphasized the importance of achieving sustainable peace in the Korean Peninsula and in the world.