▶ The rising costs of enriched uranium and the associated instability in fuel supply following the Russia-Ukraine war highlight the urgency for Republic of Korea (ROK) to enhance its capability to secure a reliable supply of enriched uranium.  ▶ The ROK’s ongoing development of LEU+ fueled Light Water Reactors (LWRs) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with 5–10% enrichment, as well as HALEU f...

▶️ South Korea's Nuclear Market Expansion: South Korea's selection as the preferred bidder for nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic highlights its efforts to penetrate the European nuclear energy market. Advanced APR1000 reactors meeting European standards enhance its competitive edge, with potential for further exports to other European nations. ▶️ Nuclear Energy's Role in Net-Zero Goals: ...

►Thermal energy decarbonization is critical for achieving carbon neutrality, especially in high-energy-consuming sectors like industry, where thermal processes dominate and present significant challenges. ►Innovative technologies like heat pumps, waste heat recovery, and electrification are essential for reducing carbon emissions, but their adoption faces barriers such as cost, scale, and system complexity. ...

▶️ North Korea’s Nuclear Threat: As of 2024, North Korea has an estimated 50 nuclear warheads with materials to expand further, showcasing advanced missile capabilities and a growing nuclear arsenal. Its doctrine includes preemptive strike conditions, emphasizing regime survival and strategic leverage. ▶️ South Korea’s "Audacious Initiative": The Yoon administration’s plan integrates deterr...

► The Clean Competition Act (CCA), a U.S. Border Carbon Adjustment (BCA) policy, aims to reduce global carbon emissions by imposing a carbon intensity charge on imports, but it also functions as a protectionist measure to enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness. ► While policies like the CCA and the EU's CBAM address issues like carbon leakage and industrial competitiveness, they risk increasing trad...

►  As North Korea’s threats to Seoul escalate, advocacy for South Korea’s self-nuclearization is gaining momentum and political consensus. ► Both advocates of self-nuclearization and some nuclear experts are now speaking with a unified voice on securing nuclear latency, although their objectives differ: the former aims for security purposes, while the latter focuses on peaceful use. ► T...

▶ Safety regulations are essential in high-risk industries like nuclear energy, and must be tailored to each country’s unique legal, cultural and technological context, especially with the rise of innovations like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). ▶ Customized safety regulations in various countries create conflicts, as there is no universal standard, which hinders the widespread adoption of SMRs, which are cr...