The Hanul Nuclear Power Plant (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEJONG, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — The Trump administration has stepped up efforts to enlist South Korea’s nuclear industry in its ambitious plan to launch 10 new large-scale reactors by 2030, underscoring Washington’s dependence on foreign builders to revive a domestic sector weakened by decades of dormancy.
According to government and industry officials, U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary James Danly met in Seoul last month with South Korea’s deputy trade minister and Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) chief Kim Dong-cheol.
Danly conveyed Washington’s strong desire for Korean companies to take on a central role in U.S. reactor projects, citing both governments’ resolution of a long-running intellectual property dispute between KEPCO, its unit Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and Westinghouse.
The settlement effectively blocked Korea from exporting its APR-series reactors to the U.S. market on its own.
Instead, U.S. officials are urging a model in which Westinghouse provides the AP1000 reactor design while Korean firms handle construction, procurement, and engineering — fields in which they have built a strong international track record, most notably with the Barakah project in the United Arab Emirates.
Industry sources said KEPCO stressed in talks that its participation could lower project costs and expand consumer choice, enabling more competitive electricity prices. Seoul has quietly signaled support, framing Korea’s entry into the U.S. market as a matter of “customer choice” in America’s energy sector.
Shin-Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2. (Image courtesy of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant)
President Trump has pledged to quadruple the nation’s nuclear generating capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050. But the U.S. has not built reactors at scale since the 1979 Three Mile Island accident, leaving its domestic supply chain hollowed out.
Analysts note that while America retains design expertise, it lacks the construction capability that Korean firms can provide.
“From Washington’s perspective, Korea is indispensable,” one South Korean trade official said.
Analysts also suggest the joint KEPCO–Westinghouse agreement may contain carve-outs that could open space for APR1400 construction in North America if backed by U.S. policymakers and utilities.
With Westinghouse stretched thin across multiple projects in Europe and the U.S., observers say demand for Korea’s expertise is likely to grow.
The renewed outreach highlights the strategic stakes in nuclear energy, with Seoul and Washington weighing how to align commercial interests, national energy policy, and geopolitical leverage in a rapidly shifting power market.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
