Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC, Chairperson Choi Won-ho) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on August 13, 2026, at the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-SURE) in Seoul to support the successful overseas deployment of Korean-designed nuclear power plants.

Amid continued global instability, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and with climate action now a pressing international priority, nuclear power is drawing renewed attention for its ability to provide a reliable energy supply and contribute to carbon neutrality.

As a result, plans to introduce new nuclear power plants are gaining momentum in the United States and Europe, as well as in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines. In response to these market developments, the Korean government is actively pursuing nuclear power exports, with a focus on promising Southeast Asian markets, including Vietnam.

Countries introducing nuclear power for the first time must establish the necessary regulatory infrastructure alongside plant construction. This includes relevant laws, licensing procedures, technical standards, capable regulatory bodies, and a workforce specializing in nuclear safety and security. Entering these emerging markets therefore requires comprehensive cooperation that combines technology and project execution capabilities with Korea’s regulatory experience and expertise across the entire nuclear power plant lifecycle.

Previously, MOTIR referred regulatory cooperation requests from potential buyer countries to NSSC, which handled them case by case with relevant technical organizations. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), however, advises buyer countries to develop their regulatory frameworks and licensing capacity before choosing a technology supplier. This has highlighted the need to link nuclear power exports with regulatory cooperation in a more systematic and sustainable manner.

MOTIR and NSSC signed the MOU to jointly address potential buyer countries’ regulatory cooperation needs, providing systematic support as they establish their nuclear safety regulatory frameworks and strengthen their regulatory capacity.

The two agencies will regularly share updates on overseas nuclear power projects, as well as information on each country’s regulatory environment and cooperation needs. Drawing on Korea’s experience regulating nuclear power plants from design and construction through operation, they will tailor cooperation to each potential buyer country’s circumstances and project stage.

Five organizations—the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation (KNA), Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), and Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC)—also signed a separate MOU.

Under the MOUs, MOTIR and NSSC will set the government’s overall direction for cooperation, while the participating organizations undertake projects tailored to each country’s needs. This is expected to integrate regulatory cooperation into overseas nuclear power projects from the outset and enable a systematic response to potential buyer countries’ regulatory needs.

After the signing, MOTIR and NSSC held a consultation to share updates on major nuclear power projects in Vietnam, the Czech Republic, and the Philippines, as well as regulatory cooperation with the United Arab Emirates and the Czech Republic. They also discussed how to tailor nuclear power export and regulatory cooperation to conditions in each country.

“This MOU is significant because it establishes a formal basis for systematically linking nuclear power exports with regulatory cooperation and pooling the expertise of both agencies and the participating organizations,” said Minister Kim of MOTIR. “With NSSC, KINS, and KINAC as key Team Korea partners, we will comprehensively address the diverse cooperation needs of countries introducing nuclear power, including Vietnam.”

“NSSC will work closely with MOTIR and nuclear power exporters, using Korea’s regulatory experience and expertise to tailor regulatory cooperation to each buyer country’s circumstances and needs and support Korean nuclear power exports,” said Chairperson Choi of NSSC.