Country profile: Republic of Korea

Summary figures for 2010

Country	Number of nuclear power plants connected to the grid	Nuclear electricity generation (net TWh) 2010	Nuclear percentage of total electricity supply
Republic of Korea	21	142.0	32.2
OECD Pacific	75	421.3	25.0
OECD Total	342	2 183.7	21.8

Country report

After twenty-year efforts to find a site for radioactive waste facility, a suitable site for the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste (LILW) was chosen in November 2005 in Gyeongju adjacent to the existing Wolsung nuclear site, with overwhelming support from the locals. Construction of LILW facility was started in 2007 and will be completed in mid of 2010.

The thirty-year operation license of Kori unit 1, the first nuclear power plant in Korea, came to an end in June 2007. After equipment refurbishment and replacement programme during the six-month outage and safety review of regulatory body, its license renewal was given from the Government for another ten years of operation. Kori 1 restarted power generation in December 2007 with an agreement on its continued operation with the residents through a long-term dialogue.

On 15 August 2008, President Lee Myung Bak announced Korea’s vision of “Low-Carbon, Green Growth” as a top national policy priority. The National Energy Committee also established the National Energy Basic Plan 2030 on 27 August 2008 which determines the direction of its national energy policy until 2030 and provides its top-priority strategies. The Committee, chaired by President Lee, mapped out the plan on the basis of the 3Es – Energy Security, Economic Efficiency and Environment Protection. Korea will reach its long-term energy goals by improving energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, increasing the supply of clean energy including nuclear energy and reducing the use of fossil fuels, boosting the green energy industry and ensuring that its citizens have access to an affordable energy. According to the plan, nuclear power plants will account for 41% of the nation's power generation facilities in 2030 from 26% in 2007. And the Government will facilitate and encourage open discussion and a democratic, transparent decision-making process concerning the establishment of new nuclear power plants and the management of spent fuel.

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy released the 4th Basic Plan of Long-Term Electricity Supply and Demand by 2022 (BPE) in December 2008 in consideration of the National Energy Basic Plan. The BPE shall provide the long-term electricity policy direction and information on electricity supply and demand such as the electricity facility plan to secure electricity supply. According to the BPE, four units are either planned or in the process of planning by 2022 with eight units currently under construction. Four units of OPR1000 reactor model will be commissioned by 2013 and eight units of APR1400 are under construction and planned. At the end of 2022, the nuclear capacity will reach 32 916 MW, 33% share of total generation capacity.

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Last reviewed: 7 October 2011